ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU
Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state has big regret now. He is regretting Government take over of schools from the missionaries. He is of the opinion that one of the root causes of decadence in the society was the Government takeover of schools from the missionaries.
He spoke at Queen of the Rosary Secondary School, Onitsha when he paid a routine visit to the school. Today the state government has handed over back to the missionaries over 40 post primary schools and is contemplating of handing over the primary schools.
Obi at another for at the first session of first synod of the Diocese of Niger West at Saint Peters Anglican Church, Aguleri said all mission Primary Schools would be handed over to their original church owners. He insisted that the State Government is to return more schools to the churches.
Governor Obi who expressed satisfaction with the remarkable improvement recorded by the secondary schools earlier handed back to the churches, said government would continue to finance the schools and pay salaries of the teachers but would only be involved in supervisory roles.
The Governor said leaders should have strong character, integrity and courageous enough to take difficult decisions irrespective of circumstances. On the new minimum wage, Governor Obi disclosed that the State is number eight in the implementation chart and the best among non oil producing states. He said that presently the state was expending seventy percent of its revenue on wage bill monthly while there were still other competitive responsibilities.
In his address, the Bishop of Niger West, Right Reverend Professor Anthony Nkwoka extolled Governor Obi for sustaining prudent management of the State resources and enviable achievements recorded in the multi-sectarian development strategy of ANIDS.
Bishop Nkwoka noted that the Governor is on course to bequeath legacy of hard work, transparency, accountability and good governance to the upcoming generation.
The Bishop urged President Good luck Jonathan to take firm decisions, bold and revolutionary steps to tackle issues of insecurity by further strengthening national security network while warning of the dangers threatening the secular States of the country.
The wife of the Bishop, Mrs. Elizabeth Nkwoka who described the Governor as dynamic said he had made Nigerians and Ndi Anambra proud.
The Vicar of the Church Reverend Cannon Vincent Ogbuagu and the Chairman Synod Planning Committee Dr. Mike Aghadiuno expressed satisfaction with the success of the synod.
Also speaking a former Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers Chief Eugene Igwenagu enjoined the participants to remain worthy Ambassadors of Christ.
Obi had handed over to Queen of the Rosary Secondary school Onitsha the cheque of 27 Million Naira to the school for the provision of drains and proper channelization of flood. He further said that if the menace was not prevented at this stage, that it would create erosion problem in future and became a threat to the environment and a danger to human habitation.
He said that his government decided to give the money directly to the school and monitor the execution because they would do it better than contractors that had formed the habit of during shoddy work in the spirit of treating government money as up for grabs.
Talking to the students about Nigeria, the Governor invited them to continue praying for the country. He assured them that President Goodluck Jonathan meant well for the country.
Things are generally not so well in the world today, I am happy that President Goodluck Jonathan is taking some unpopular decisions now. In fact such decisions will be our saving grace in future.
Speaking earlier, the principal of the School, Rev. Sis Maria Chijioke thanked God for a governor like Mr. Peter Obi, who, according to her, had shown unrivalled interest in the development of the youth. He said that some myopic Anambra people and paid writers had refused to appreciate his uncommon sacrifice for the State, due to the fact that they palced politics before the welfare of the people. He prayed God to continue to guide him.
Speaking, a Student of the School, Onyinye Odika said that the Governor had remained a caring father to students and that they would reciprocate his love by being law-abiding.
Similarly, another student of the school, Maria Chijioke said she felt overjoyed by the visit and that she did not know how to thank the Governor. She promised to be a good student in other to achieve the vision the Governor had for them.
The Nigeria Union Of Teachers (NUT) Anambra state command had protested the decision of the state government to hand over 42 post primary public schools to the missionary for day to day running of its activities.
Daily Champion reports that the Anambra state House of Assembly had passed an executive bill mandating the immediate release of 43 secondary schools hitherto run by the state government to the missionaries, claiming that it would be better ran.
State chairman of NUT then, Comrade Anthony Ugozor told journalists that the handing over of the school is not for the good of the schools nor his members, decrying non consultation of the NUT as a stakeholder on the issue before the decision was taken.
Ugozor said I have made contacts and have gotten to know that no stakeholder in the education sector was carried along. I can also tell you that the NUT was not consulted before that bill was passed. If the Anambra state house of Assembly must pass a bill that has to do with education, they should be able to reach out to the major stakeholders in the sector.
There are situations where these has been done, and you would see mission tasking our teachers and heaping additional responsibility on the. They would make it compulsory for the teacher to return in the evening after school to participate in choir practice and catechism and others. Some of our teachers may even be sacked because they do not worship with them.
He also said that since education was ran by the government, it has become reachable to the poor masses, and the teachers also have job security, lamenting that such a move was being made in the state without the core stakeholders being carried along. He further that the union after studying the bill would take to the streets if they find its content inimical to its members.
NUT he said is protesting the action of the state government in handing over the schools to the voluntary agencies because it may not be to the best interest of education in the state, adding that it may also not benefit parents, their wards and the teachers in the state.
Ugozor stated that the time has passed when teacher rewards were said to be in heaven as he who must get his reward in heaven should be able to live well on earth.
According to Ugozor, we think the handing over of the schools is solely for business and if we find out so, we would engineer the transfer of our members from such schools, let the missions involved recruit fresh teachers for themselves. Some of the missions involved in the schools include; the Roman Catholic Church, The Anglican Communion and others, he concluded.
Despite that stand which Ugozor although did not say it out later admitted by his actions and inactions in supporting the good policies of Governor Peter Obi’s administration testified that the policy was in order. The schools are today better managed and directed even though there is a slight bad blood between those owned by Catholic Churches and those owned by Anglicans as some allege that they are not given equal attention in terms of grants.
For a staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka , Mr Chuka Anyaogu , he is of the opinion that the hand over was justified based on what was experienced during the last strike in the state. He applauded the initiative by the state government under Obi as according to him it was lack of funds that made the hand over from mission to government then possible.
Those days church came it was because of lack of fund that they handed the schools to government but now that the government is taking the bills it is good because the management and administration is better. For example during that ill advised strike, those mission schools were on and never joined the strike even when their teachers did schools were on.
Which ever way one looks at the hand over of schools by Governor Peter Obi, the person is entitled to his opinion but the fact remains that Obi is insisting that the hand over remained the best to happen to the school system.
Odogwu Emeka Odogwu is the Anambra state Correspondent of Champion Newspapers and can be reached on 08060750240 or odogwuchampionawka@...
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