Ugwuanyi’s Value For Education Endears Him to Teachers – Hon. Asogwa
By Humphrey Onyima
For many, education may not have taken its rightful place in their states. In this interview with LEADERSHIP Scorecard, the Chairman, Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ESUBEB), Chief Hon. Ikeje Asogwa, insists that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration has done enough in the education sector of Enugu State to earn a second term.
Upon your appointment as the chairman of the ESUBEB, what was your reaction, given that you were just fresh off the election trail and the challenges involved in getting education in Enugu State back to where it should be?
I thank the governor for his trust and support over the last three years. I think there was a particular reason why the governor asked me to come and take up this assignment.
When I resumed office, I was shocked at the state of the board and the condition of our schools. It wasn’t encouraging. The learning environment and process were in shambles. It was a real mess. I also discovered that there was lack of teachers and i noticed that huge percentage of the available ones were not qualified to do the job.
Having noted the challenges, we started planning for a turn-around (which, today, we have achieved to a large extent) by getting rid of ‘ghost’ teachers through verification exercise. We also undertook an investigation into budgetary allocation and realised that about 92 projects were abandoned which we have worked hard to complete now. More importantly, we commenced a recruitment process to engage more teachers because most of them retired the year we came into office. Today, we have engaged over 2,000 qualified teachers. Also, we have undertaken the construction of over 470 classroom blocks and toilets in various schools in 17 local government areas of the state, procured over 18000 desks and chairs for teachers and children, distributed learning aids and laboratory equipment for junior and senior secondary schools, as well as books for those leaving the primary to the junior secondary school. We have distributed equipment and books worth over N200m and we are happy to say that has been going on.
Recently, we also undertook the procurement and distribution of computers and sporting equipment for the school – one of the major challenges we noticed the schools were having was the lack of sporting equipment.
The Universal Basic Education (UBEC) course is a nine-year programme covering primary and junior secondary schools. Is there any form of synergy between ESUBEB and other education boards in Enugu State?
Yes, very beautiful, productive synergy. We are working hand-in-hand. We have a great relationship with our principal supervising ministry, the Ministry of Education and we are working hand-in-hand with the Principals’ School Management Board which oversees senior secondary education. Also, we are working closely with the Science, Technical and Vocational School Management Board that takes care of science and technical schools. We received a lot of materials like books and other equipments through UBEC in Abuja and we have been able to distribute them to schools through their various boards, while working to ensure that whatever we purchase gets to the children who should be the end-users of any purchase, any building we construct or any plan we draw up.
How much has the governor contributed to the educational sector of the State in terms of eradication of illiteracy, ignorance and poverty, to earn a re-election?
The songs of praises you hear about Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in this state are not fabricated; they are true. Through him, a lot has been acheived. The scholarships, books’ purchase, laboratory equipment purchase, payment of WAEC/NECO fees, are all true. We have been doing a lot of work, and projects that the eyes can see, because they are standing. Also, there is provision of facilities like the school furniture and the rest. We have carried out a lot of training programmes that go down to the grassroots. More than 95 per cent of the beneficiaries of the training programmes that we undertook are sourced from the grassroots. We do this training more than those in the urban areas. We are reaching out and getting impressive results, besides just making sure that they go for the training. Most of all, we monitor complaints.
As for how much the governor has done to deserve a second term, it is not something I can tell you in a limited time. His works speaks for him, we can’t dispute that fact.
Education in the world has become digitally-inclined.Where does Enugu find herself in the present dispensation?
We are doing considerably well. Before now, the situation was not one to be proud of. Currently, we are concentrating on the procurement of computers at all levels, both for the primary, junior and senior secondary schools. In order to ensure that our people become computer-literate, we developed this computer training in all the local governments of the state and the classes are fully functional as we speak.
Why we train the teachers? We train them because they come in contact with the pupils and students daily. They are the eyes and ears to many of them in the world today. This is why they have to be ready to impart effective and efficient knowledge to the children always. The fact is that, what Ugwuanyi is doing for teachers is something that can increase their capacity to deliver. Governor Ugwuayi’s quality of motivation endears him to the teachers.
Recently, over 21,000 teachers marched to endorse Governor Ugwuanyi for a second term. What really motivated this move?
So many reasons motivated the move, but, can’t give all the reasons. Enugu State is one of the few states of the federation to pay her teachers their ‘13th month’ salary. We do not owe our teachers. As a result of these and more, the teachers are so glad. All promotion arrears have been updated, seen to and established, leave allowances have been paid, as well as other things.
The Ugwuanyi-led Enugu State government defined a vision of making the state a model learning centre in the country and has since then run with a new zeal unmatched. The task was identified and a clear goal was set – which is to place education at a global, competitive level. An effective strategy for solution normally requires a clear understanding of the roots of a problem. Like a master craftsman, Ugwuanyi ensured a proper diagnosis of the problem of deteriorating standard of education in Nigeria and found that inadequate funding and lack of essential facilities are significant variables. He then gave the two critical areas the kind of attention never seen in recent times and hardly matched anywhere else in the country.
A reinforcement of the educational foundation, he discovered, needs to be done at the primary level and that became a key element of the new engagement. Ugwuanyi insists on the need to lay a proper educational foundation for pupils at that level. This informed his administration’s drive to reposition primary school education for enhanced performance. For any measure aimed at addressing the problem of declining standard of education to succeed, it has to necessarily begin at the primary school level.
Enugu State government, under Ugwuanyi has taken major steps to give primary schools’ development the priority accorded it under the millennium goals. World Bank’s grants are available for the development of primary schools but most states aren’t keen about it because they aren’t willing or are unable to provide the counterpart fund.
The government of Enugu State ensured that the problem of funding did not hinder the attainment of the desired educational quality. The government sourced its counterpart fund for the World Bank’s grants for primary school funding through a term loan facility. With counterpart funding, the state’s Universal Basic Education Board gained access to the Universal Basic Education Commission Fund.
This has enabled the state to overcome the usual problem of lack of funds for primary schools’ development. The state government has, therefore, sustained efforts in constructing new classroom blocks, renovating dilapidated structures, recruiting teachers and providing essential instructional resources; thus, creating an effective learning system. It is the desire of the Ugwuanyi-led administration to raise the capacity for quality education at all levels within the state.
Ugwuanyi has, so far, sustained the drive to reposition primary schools in the state with a view to meeting the demands of the millennium. With improved funding, his government has attained great landmarks in renovating primary and secondary schools in the state and in procuring essential educational facilities, including computer facilities and electric power generators for public secondary schools.
Education is an essential tool for touching lives and recreating destinies of people and societies. This is precisely what Ugwuanyi has done with it so far in the state. It is a progressive move by the government of Ugwuanyi that has made huge impacts at the grassroots. A number of schools in dilapidated conditions have received facelifts across the state, despite the revenue crisis that has hit government finances generally in recent years.
These deeds by Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration gave birth to that act of solidarity which you saw at the Michael Okpara Square on December 6, 2017.
