There is little doubt that the Imo state
governor Mr. Rochas Anayochukwu Okorocha long before he won the election
in 2011 to become the governor of Imo state, had carved a niche for himself
rightly or wrongly as a champion of education for all indigent children of
Nigeria. The local media used to be awash with stories on some of his
activities in the area of provision of free education to children born in the
streets and especially children with special needs. In Abuja where I have
resided for fifteen years now, the current governor of Imo state used to run a
foundation that coordinates some of these reported free educational scholarship
schemes for the needy.
As a cosmopolitan man born, bred and lived all
his active life in cities beginning from Jos, in Plateau state whereby he
attended the prestigious University of Jos for his masters degree under the
tutelage of the current Executive Secretary of the Nigerian National Human
Rights Commission, Professor Bem Amgwe, the current Imo state chief executive
is credited with, wrongly or rightly, many scholarships he awarded reportedly
to children of the poorest of the poor and one distinguishing factor is said to
be the fact that his foundation does not discriminate who to give the
scholarship awards on the basis of tribe, religion or political
affiliations. This unique selling point is unusual given that as a politician,
most Nigerians would expect that only those with high political gains to bring
to the table would benefit from these largesse dolled out intermittently as
scholarship awards.
Since assuming office as Imo state governor
nearly four years now, the administration under his watch has emphasized
the need for free education for all children up to the University levels for
the indigenes of Imo state but there have always been doubts regarding the
quality of this free educational packages dolled out to indigenes of the state
and also most people who are skeptical are of the view that the poor state
of educational facilities in most rural communities in Imo state means that no
genuine qualitative educational activities would take place under the current
dispensation. I have had the opportunity of visiting nearly twelve local
government area councils during the current regime and I can report that
educational facilities of the highest standards are not available anywhere near
these local government area councils with Onu-Imo local government coming
first from the rear. Primary and post primary schools in Onu-Imo local
government area council as well other council areas are in very serious
derelict state since over thirty years and the current administration seems
overwhelmed to right the monumental structural wrongs done to Imo state
educational sector over the years by successive administrations.
On the few occasions I have met him [twice]
since he became the governor of Imo state, the governor appeared to me as
genuine and sincere in his determination to take educational privileges to the
unreached poor children in rural communities but I am at a loss to locate
the precise reason why his administration is now overwhelmed and almost unable
to deliver quality education to the poor children in places that matters most.
Honestly, the government's introduction of free
education has helped to see to the growth astronomically of enrolment of pupils
into public schools but this positive attribute is not complimented by the
advancement in the quality of educational facilities in the rural communities
of Imo state especially places whereby development have eluded the rural
residents for years such as Onu-imo local government area council.
Now I ask, why is it impossible for the Imo
state government to raise a crop of technocrats and competent professionals
within the civil service to scout for development partners that would
invest in the educational development of Imo state given that the state ranks
as the most educationally advantaged state even when the rural educational
infrastructure is in a state of shambles? The Imo state government needs to
leverage on the comparative advantage of the state in the area of
education to train manpower made up of youth in rare areas of special
educational fields in some of the best schools around the World with a
memorandum of understanding and binding contract that these skilled indigenes
will contribute their quota to the development of Imo state.
Another facet of the problem is the irony in the
disclosure by the minister of state for education Mr. Nyesom Wike that most
state governments lack the skill to access huge funds available within the
Universal Basic Education for the funding of their primary and junior secondary
free educational schemes.
Is Imo state among those lagging behind in
attracting these funds? If not, why are the state of educational infrastructure
in the rural communities of Imo state so backward and derelict especially in
places like Ndianiche Uwakonye, Arondizuogu in Onu-Imo local government area
council among others? Why are the rural schools so run down and
dysfunctional even when state governments can not access UBEC fund to cushion
the effect of collapse of these vital educational facilities?
The
Federal Government recently lamented the inability of states to
access the equity fund of N41.3bn under the Universal Basic Education
programme.
Minister
of State for Education, Ezenwo Nyeson Wike, stated this during the 9th
Quarterly Meeting of Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards, held
in Minna, Niger state.
He
said, “Over N41.3bn still cannot be accessed by states up till date. This is
particularly worrisome when we realise that a lot of improvement can be done in
our existing schools or the establishment of new ones across the country”.
“All
states chairmen must draw the attention of their respective state governors to
this development and impress it on them the need to take necessary actions in
the interest of education in their states.”
As I stated in the beginning stage of this
piece, the Imo state governor is such a man with the large heart to deliver
free education but the crisis of confidence comes in when you discover that the
facilities on ground don't match this desire and therefore what you have may
end up becoming half baked primary educational activities for the poor rural
children. He is not discouraged by this poor state of facilities even as his
aides said the government would change the tide for the better. While Imo state
rural poor await the arrival of good, functional and qualitative educational
facilities and qualified skilled teachers, the governor took his campaign for
free education to the national stage recently.
The Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha has made
case for introduction of free education in all schools in Nigeria in order to
guarantee the future of the nation.
Governor Okorocha brought this to bear during
the flag off ceremony of distribution of free educational materials to Imo
Schools as well as flag off of Cluster schools Model teachers Professional
Training Programme at the State Universal Basic Education Board [SUBEB]
headquarters, Owerri recently.
Owelle Okorocha who restated his commitment to
providing free and qualitative education at all levels in the state, said there
is no better way of guaranteeing a prosperious future than ensuring that every
child is given the opportunity of acquring qualitative education.
He noted that his administration is ancoured on
education and this, it has demonstrated by providing free education at all
levels, building of 305 modern schools across the state, regular payment of
teachers salaries and allowances among others. 'My dream for Imo is to be
number one in education in Nigeria, where other states will come to copy as a
model' he asserted.
The governor disclosed that government has
introduced the Parents Teachers Child assessment Programme [PTCAP] to offer the
needed relationship the teachers and parents to discuss the welfare of their
wards.
He encouraged teachers to remain focused and dedicated
to their duties but warned that government will not tolerate indolence as
education police will continue to monitor students and teachers attendance to
school. He further charged teachers to ensure that educational materials
in their respective schools are secured.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Primary and
Non-formal Education, Dr [Mrs.] Uche Ejiogu, noted that government has
sustained the policy of non-payment of tuition fees and levies in the state
public schools as well as training and retraining of teachers with the view to
improving their capacity in both literacy and numeracy training for primary
schools teachers in the state.
She added that the flag off of the distribution
of instructional materials and teachers development training were yet measures
put in place by the governor to enhance effective teaching and learning in
public primary schools. She therefore enjoined teachers to justify
government's huge investment in education by being dedicated.
In her address of welcome, the chairman, Imo
State Universal Basic Education Board, Mrs. Gertrude Oduka said the event was
to flag off the distribution of 798352 volumes of text books in varios subjects
as instructional materials to Imo children in addition to 8588 tables and 34352
chairs for early child care development programme [ECCD].
The SUBEB chairman disclosed that the board
has in place for the first phase learning, 42 cluster of 420 schools made up of
2100 participants comprising of 42 head teachers as centre managers, 42 local
government education authority supervisors in addition to 42 Board staff.
As I put these thoughts into writing I have only
recently returned to Abuja from Imo state and I can bet on anything precious
that the state of rural educational infrastructure is poor and only the
immediate declaration of a comprehensive state of educational emergency in the
primary educational sub-sector can restore confidence in the ability of the
state administration to deliver on its promise to make Imo state the Eldorado
of free but quality education especially for our children who live in the rural
communities.
+Emmanuel Onwubiko; head; Human Rights Writers
Association of Nigeria and blogs@www.huriwa.blogspot.org; http://www.huriwa.org/
10/2/2014
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