By Dorcas Samson Achi
Imo State Commissioner for Education, Prof B.T.O Ikegwuoha has revealed that the rot in Imo State education sector which was ostensibly caused by former governor Rochas Okorocha’s eight years administration despite his so called free education program, will take twenty five years to address.
He made this statement when the Old Students Association of Ojike Memorial Secondary School(OMSS), Orlu led by their president, Mr Chris Ezekiel paid him a courtesy visit yesterday in his office.
The Commissioner also lamented the incredible discoveries in pension matters and hinted on how governor Uzodinma’s administration is trying to clean up the augean stables as well as rectify salary and pension payment matters.
Members of Ojike Memorial Secondary school old students association with the Commissioner of Education, Prof BTO Ikegwuoha(In Blue suit).
In his own words, ” This week, all the civil servants that have been verified will be fully paid. Imo people need to be patient with this administration because it has a lot of prospects especially in the area of education. We have set up plans to build a modern, well equipped buildings in our primary schools in the whole 305 wards of Imo state. This buildings will contain libraries and solar power. We are putting up E-learning for our pupils. There will be kitchen for home grown foods so that the pupils will be well fed as they study. We will have clinics in the schools and a nurse will be posted to each. Each building will have boreholes. Each classroom will have good desks and seats”
The Commissioner assured the group of the government’s effort to ensure that lands belonging to government secondary school but encroached into by villagers will be recovered at all cost.
According to him, the situation is not peculiar to OMSS. He encouraged the alumni association in all the secondary schools to assist the government in their little ways while government puts up it’s best in developing schools across the state, saying that government cannot do it alone.He expressed optimism on the capacity of the government of senator Hope Uzodinma to reposition the sector.
Earlier,the president of Ojike Memorial Secondary school Old Students Association, Mr Chris Ezekiel who was overwhelmed by the achievement of the commissioner within the shortest Time, thanked Ikegwuoha for availing the group the opportunity to visit him.He pleaded that the Commissioner uses his good offices to address the encroachment into the Ojike Memorial secondary school land by villagers and building rehalibitation challenges faced by the school.
On the entourage were Mrs Nnemeka Obigaeri, the current Principal of Ojike Memorial Secondary School who is also an old student, Hon Osunkwo Chimezie, PTA chairman, Comrade Precious Nwadike, the publisher, Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper, Elder Kevin Odoemena,among others.
