It was no holds barred interview at Broadcasting corporation of Abia State Television (BCA TV) when the hardworking Commissioner for Education Abia State Prof.Ikechi Mgbeoji featured in their popular morning show tagged GOOD MORNING ABIA. He addressed so many issues affecting the Abia State Ministry of education and set the agenda for the way forward.
On salary of teachers Prof.Ikechi Mgbeoji lamented that the dwindling FG allocation has become a major challenge of the state govt to pay workers in d state including the teachers. He stressed that in the last verification exercise conducted by d ministry in collaboration with Ministry of Finance 136 teachers could not claim their cheques and 32 teachers were not in existence at all and the teachers wage bill in Abia State for the past 18months has been stable at N710million and this shows that no new teacher has been hired, retired or dead. He said that this is not acceptable. He emphasised that govt is determined to settle the backlog of salaries owed to teachers as two months salaries has been mapped out for d teachers and disbursement had commenced by the Ministry of finance. He added that government will not rest on their oars until the ghost workers bedevilling Abia State school system is completely eliminated.
On Abia State scholarship Scheme, the Honourable commissioner for education stated that it was dead at his assumption in office. He highlighted that what was common then was a situation where indigent Abians will be lobbying whom they know in govt to grab d opportunity. He opined that to have a robust Scholarship board that Abia State ministry of education under his watch had constituted a new scholarship Board that will draw funding from a pool of resources. He emphasised that this recommendation had been endorsed by the Governor and come June 2017 the Abia State scholarship board will be funded where Abians will apply following due process.
On his achievements in office Prof.Mgbeoji stated that despite the dwindling state resources that Abia State ministry of education had invoke a technical education training via the E4E program (Education for employment).Abia State University Uturu has been made to be more productive by moving Faculty of Law to Umuahia and Engineering to Aba.He added that Abia State ministry of education had also renovated 25 schools across the states, sank 13 bore holes and it is still work in progress. He added that recently over 40 toilets was renovated and put into use in Boys technical College Aba. He added that in the next 18 months that Abia State govt is going to build 17 model schools,One in each of the 17 LGA’s in the State. Furthermore he stated that One super model school will be built in each of the three senatorial zones in Abia State. He concluded by saying that they are open to fresh ideas on how to improve the educational sector in Abia State.
God Bless Abia State.
Matthew Enyinnaya Clinton
SA on Media to Honourable Commissioner for Education Abia State
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