The Enugu West General Assembly (EWGA) has commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State over the strategic achievements of his administration in the education sector.
In a press release made available to the media by the group’s Publicity Secretary, Comrade Collins Nebo and its Director General, Hon. Humphrey Onyima, EWGA stated that “Enugu’s place in the nation’s education ranking is not one which any right-thinking state administration would love to toy with.”
It added that “over the years, Enugu’s position has made her an envy of not a few,” stressing the need for other leaders of thought to emulate Governor Ugwuanyi’s giant strides in education.
“EWGA have equally noted your massive investment in education and human capital development, as well as the reforms and infrastructural transformation of the education sector, and are impressed with your special attention in the area of reconstruction and renovation of primary and secondary school structures in both rural and urban areas.”
In the light of that, EWGA took a look into the activities of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ESUBEB) over the last four years and how much it has lived up to the high standards with which the state has been known to approach issues relating to education.
“Gov. Ugwuanyi’s outstanding building blocks in education are quite indisputable, as it is very visible to even the blind. As it stands, 589 primary and secondary school blocks across the 17 local government areas of the State have so far been constructed and renovated, while additional 263 are ongoing, some almost completed.”
According to EWGA, with reference to a report on Vanguard, “the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education in a letter duly signed by the Director, Education Support Department on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, recently named Model Secondary School, Nsukka, Enugu State, winner of the 2019 President’s Teachers & Schools Excellence Award. The Model Secondary School Nsukka emerged FG’s 2019 educational award winner of the prestigious national award, which was recently conferred on the school on the October 5, 2019, at the Eagle Square, Abuja, sequel to the general assessment of infrastructure, E-Library, quality teaching & learning in public secondary schools in Nigeria by the Federal Ministry of Education.
“This outstanding feat was fallout from various educational interventions by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration in Enugu State, which ensured the overhaul of all classroom blocks at Model Secondary School Nsukka, construction of dormitories and dining hall with state-of-the-art facilities. Other pivotal interventions include installation of ICT/E-Library through the works department of the Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB) and recruitment and training of quality teachers, leading to the excellent performance of the school’s JSS3 and SS3 students in junior and senior WAEC, respectively, among others.
“It would be recalled that some post-secondary school students of Enugu State are beneficiaries of the scholarship offered by the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to study in Mewar University, India. The elated students, numbering 22, were presented to Gov. Ugwuanyi by the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Nwanneka Onah, and other officials of the Ministry, saying they were overwhelmed by Gov. Ugwuanyi’s benevolence, love, care and kindness in making their dreams come true.
Speaking on behalf of the new beneficiaries, Clara Nnaji, an ex-student of Anglican Girls Grammar School, Awkunanaw, Enugu South Local Government Area, thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for putting smiles on their faces and that of their parents, adding that they have found a father in the governor.
Nnaji disclosed that the governor has “succeeded in shaking off shackles of all forms of poverty in our families”, stressing that “a good number of us never had the hope of leaving this country for studies”.
According to her, “even though I had it in my heart, I never ever imagined that I will actualize this dream in the next ten years. But in a space of two months, Your Excellency, you made it possible and I want to on behalf of other beneficiaries, across our dear Enugu State, say a very big thank you for putting smiles and hope on the faces of our parents”.
“In May 2018, in line with the state government’s policy in education and the need to discover and assist intellectuals in the rural areas, the governor granted scholarships to 340 indigent students studying engineering programmes at the Enugu State Polytechnic Iwollo, Ezeagu.
“Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration also offered four-year scholarships to another 340 indigent students of the state Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu”.
“The governor explained that the indigent students in each of the 17 local government areas will benefit from the scholarship scheme in both institutions which will, in turn, cover their tuition fees for four years of study.”
Speaking during the maiden Engineering Day commemoration at the institution, where he inaugurated the newly constructed School of Engineering Complex sponsored by Prince Arthur Eze and laid foundation for the construction of the Prof. Julius Onah School of Management Technology, the governor disclosed that the cardinal principle of the educational policy of his administration remained the provision of access to qualitative education at all levels to all classes of the society.
“In April 2018, the Enugu State Executive Council (EXCO) said it approved N2,572,686,367 for the immediate construction of new class room blocks and renovation of dilapidated structures in primary and junior secondary schools under the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB).
“Also, the council, in keeping with the four-point agenda of Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration on quality education and workers’ welfare, approved the sum of N271 million as bail-out fund to Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) to enable the institution off-set the remaining seven-month monetisation arrears owed its workers.
“In that same vein, Gov. Ugwuanyi recently performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the first University of Education in Southeastern Nigeria, in keeping faith with the state’s status as one which regards education as one of her priorities. The council further approved and directed the speedy relocation of the Enugu State College of Education Technical from its temporary site in Enugu urban to the permanent site domiciled within the University of Education Location in Ihe. It further approved N14.6 million for ground work on the site, and on the recent check; there is massive construction ongoing on the university site in Ihe.
“In December 2017, the state government released the sum of N184 million for the upgrade of the Mpu Youth Centre in Aninri Local Government Area, earlier approved by the Chief of Army Staff for the establishment of an Army Command Technical College,” the statement added.
EWGA further noted that “Ugwuanyi’s administration has recruited over 4000 primary and secondary school teachers, with additional 1,500 teachers’ recruitment ongoing through the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) and Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB) in addition to the 857 volunteer teachers (engaged during the past administration) who were recently regularized as permanent staff of the state government under the PPSMB to improve the learning standard. It is on record that Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration has recruited over 4000 teachers since its inception, to create jobs and improve the standard of learning in the state.
“In the same mood, the sum of N252, 456, 917.67 was approved for the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) to pursue the re-accreditation of the institution’s courses whose prior accreditation had expired”.
“It is on the above sterling achievements of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration in the area of education that the entire members of the Central Working Committee of EWGA, ranging from the Director-General of Enugu West General Assembly, Hon. Humphrey Onyima (Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Enugu State), the Secretary General of EWGA, Hon. Comr. Chidi Ilogebe (Special Assistant to the Governor of Enugu State), the EWGA Publicity Secretary – Comrade Collins Nebo (who doubled as the chair-person of the advisory board of ‘Agbaja Youth Assembly), the General Women Leader of EWGA – Comrade Ms Nwachukwu Maryann Chidimma; the General Youth Leader of EWGA – Surv. Uzoigwe Darlington and the entire members of the Local Government Working Committee of EWGA, cut across Awgu, Aninri, Oji River, Ezeagu and Udi LGAs, hereby unanimously commend Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration for improving the state’s education sector.”
