Abia Govt Set To Recover Over 180 Public Schools Partitioned To Political Cronies

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Abia State Government has vowed to recover over 180 public educational institutions illegally ceded to private individuals and entities by the previous administration.

It has, also, informed that no fewer than 12,000 teachers in public schools are to undergo refresher trainings to prepare them for the task of rebuilding the system.

Rising from an Executive Council Meeting Monday evening, August 5, 2024, the State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kalu, announced that a Committee has been set up to oversee the recovery efforts.

The Source reports that the immediate past regime had allotted a large chunk of public schools to private persons mostly political cronies, friends and family members and faith-based organizations.

The allottees  have since gone ahead to erect varying structures, including malls and business concerns ,despite public outcry.

The development has sadly resulted in a monumental deficit in the education sector, with thousands of children of the poor unable to access education.

The Commissioner for Information warned that the State Government will no longer tolerate the unbridled greed and impunity of a few privileged people, with the penchant to illegally appropriate the common wealth.

The State Government, Prince Kalu maintained, stands in total condemnation of the surreptitious take-over of  public properties and lands belonging to Government schools.

Similarly, the State authorities expressed displeasure with the misuse of public schools handed over to organizations, including Churches, insisting that the public facilities must be used for their real purposes.

Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Governor Alex Otti’s Chief of Staff, is at the Head of the recovery Committee.

Other members are Education Commissioner, Prof Uche Ume Uche, Commissioners for Justice, Land and Housing, Local Government/Chieftaincy Affairs and Heads of Aba Greater Development Authority GADA and Umuahia Capital Development Authority, as well as the Chief Security Officer to the Governor.

Prince Kalu said the decision to organize the retraining programme for the teachers is sequel to an assessment of the sector.

He noted that the teachers will participate in the capacity-building programme during the summer to prepare them for the task of handling the recently restructured and remodeled public schools.