- To introduce e-learning to public schools
By Angela Nwaeze
Governor David Umahi has disclosed that the State was set to spend N7.5 billion in the next few months in the renovation of Ebonyi public schools.
Umahi revealed this on Wednesday while addressing the newly reappointed Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Chief Hycienth Ikpor, and other Board members shortly after their inauguration at the Government House, Abakaliki. Noting that the appointment of the board, takes effect from first August 1.
He said that the fund will make huge impact on the State School system.
He ordered the SUBEB chairman to ensure that all ongoing UBEB projects across the State were completed before the next one month.
“This last lap of our administration is for everybody to work.
“No one gets this appointment and just waits for the alerts to come.
“Such will not work. We want to redefine education in the State and I urge all stakeholders in the sector to join hands.
“I also want to deploy e-learning in our schools so that where we don’t have enough teachers, especially in Science subjects, the pupils will benefit through e-learning.
“We want to come first in education in this country in the next two years.”
The governor noted that once the e-learning is introduced in public schools across the State, it will make up for the lack of teachers, especially in science subjects.
He expressed displeasure over the performance of the past board members, but however acknowledged that the Chairman had put in his best.
Maintaining that his administration targets to redefine education in the State, he charged the UBEB chairman to coordinate his members and staff to effectively monitor and supervise all schools across the three senatorial zones of the State to eradicate loitering and other anti-education behaviours by both pupils and teachers.
He warned that any member or Staff caught lacking in his task would be dismissed without option.
Umahi also hinted on plans to beef up the remuneration of the ex-official members of the Board to encourage them to show greater commitment and dedication to duty.
He announced that transfer of teachers under UBEB at all levels has been stopped in the State for the meantime as a strategy to effectively manage the recent financial autonomy to local governments.
He decried the simultaneous growth in both salaries and retiree pensions in the State and ordered that all promotions henceforth would be based on availability of vacancies, while those who may have received undue promotions would continually be retarded in subsequent promotion exercises.
“Between now and Tuesday, there will be a comprehensive re-auditing of all workers in the State”, he stated.
Ikpor in his acceptance speech on behalf of the members thanked God and the Governor for the appointment, adding that he would work in synergy with his colleagues to accomplish the dreams of the Governor in the universal education sector.
Members of the Board included the immediate past Commissioner for Education in the State, Sabinus Nwankwagu; and immediate past Commissioner for Water Resources, Euphemia Nwali, while Chief Nichodemus Omenka is the Secretary.
The State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Leonard Nkah, and others drawn from various strata of the society, including representatives of the three senatorial districts of the State, who constituted the ex-officio members of the Board.
