Akwa Ibom: Gov Umo Eno promotes CKS Headmistress for diligence
As Nigerians continue to lament over the increasing decay of public schools, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno has revealed his government’s plans for the remodelling of public schools and repositioning of education in the state.
Speaking during an unscheduled visit and inspection of Christ The King Primary School, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, he noted that he is determined to fulfill his campaign promise of providing model schools, uniforms and shoes for primary school pupils and more.
He noted that when the schools are remodelled, the teachers would have to live within the school premises to enhance mentorship and discipline.
Governor Eno who was accompanied by the Secretary to State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah and other government officials, recalled with nostalgia the beautiful old days when schools had compound masters, sanitary masters, headmasters/headmistresses and many others living in the schools premises and assured that the state will bring back those glorious days.
He noted that CKS was close to the Government House hence would be first to be remodelled as a prototype.
The Governor who was conducted round the school, visited and interacted with the pupils of primary five where the elated pupils appealed for more tables, chairs, electricity and books; and the governor assured them that these will be made available.
He encouraged the pupils to take their studies seriously and dream big, saying that attending a public school was no barrier to reaching the top, noting that he was a living example of such attainment.
The Governor said government will provide light through solar energy, books, uniforms, school shoes and construct comfortable classrooms as prototype.
According to him, “We want our teachers to live in school. We will renovate the teachers’ quarters and provide solar-powered lights. Let the teachers live in school. We will return to those good old days where the public school system was strong.
“Education is a key component of the ARISE Agenda, and particularly the primary school.This school is next to Government House and so it should be a model. We want to start here to create the model primary schools we talked about in our campaigns.
“I have extracted commitment from the headmistress who said if we give them light, water etc,they will live in school.I believe we should invest in these children. We should catch them young. Any school we renovate, we will ensure the teachers live there,” he added
“I have interacted with the pupils, they are vacating on the 28th of this month and we will use the holiday to remodel this school. We are setting up a small project committee headed by the SSG to translate our dreams in terms of design, supervision and others. They will look at the technicalities so that when we have a dream, we pass it to them, and they interpret it in terms of design. This is what we will replicate in other places.
“I want to get teachers back to school to live in the school; it will help to maintain discipline,” he said.
Governor Eno commended the Headmistress, Mrs Eme Joseph Bassey, for her diligence, especially for being at her duty post at about 1:30 p.m., at the time of the unscheduled visit and asked that she be promoted.
In her remarks, the Headmistress expressed delight at the visit, saying it was a first-of-its kind.
While commending the Governor for the visit and interest in the education sector, she noted that from indications, the state was in for a golden era.
