Abia moves to boost education

…Approves N62 million bursary for law students, to renovate 170 primary, 51 secondary schools

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Abia State Executive Council (EXCO) on Monday, March 18, 2024, at its weekly meeting, approved the sum of N62 million for bursary awards to indigenes of the state studying in various Law schools across the country.
The EXCO also approved the renovation of 170 primary schools and 51 secondary schools across the state.
Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, made the EXCO resolutions public while briefing journalists at Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of the EXCO meeting, adding that the steps were to reposition education in the state to meet the standard requires for the 21st Century and to make their products competitive, globally.
Kanu explained that approval for the bursary awards to Abia students in law schools was sequel to a letter from the students to the state governor, Dr. Alex Otti, requesting for financial assistance; and in keeping with the high premium the State government places on education.
According to the Commissioner, EXCO also approved the renovation and retrofitting of 170 primary schools which translates to 10 primary schools per local government area. He said this would be in addition to the six model schools already being renovated.
Kanu added that 51 secondary schools have also been approved for renovation, with three schools in each LGA to be attention.
“The schools will have some features that will make them modern schools. They would have staff quarters, care taker’s house, the head teacher’s house, and a gate house .The primary Schools, of course, would have nurseries. This again is in keeping with the promise to Abians,” the Commissioner said.
He, however, disclosed that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has delisted some undisclosed number of schools in the state suspected to have indulged in examination malpractices, saying that private schools were the worst hit by the WAEC hammer.
According to the Commissioner, though the government was not happy over the development, the action was, however, in line with the transparency policy of the present administration which believes in doing things right.
In her further explanation, Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eme Uche, said:
“You remember there was a time we started checking private schools and closed down those that did not meet the required standards .
“Some of them are special centres and we know that. Some of those special centres have been identified by WAEC. So what they have done was to, first, warn; and then threaten the affected schools with sanctions, including the withdrawal of their licenses to operate.
“Remember that some Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centres were shut down in Aba because of the issue of examination malpractices .
“We don’t want Abia to be known as a centre for examination malpractices.”