By Newsmata
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Wednesday expressed shock at the deplorable condition and learning environment of some public schools visited as he embarked on inspection of schools in the state. The governor was dissatisfied with the dilapidated school buildings as well as the poor sanitary, security and learning conditions in the schools and promised to overhaul them.
The Governor, who was accompanied on the tour by the Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Paddy Iyamu, and other top government functionaries, visited Eweka Primary School, Obazagbon, Oroma Primary School, Amagba; Amagba Secondary School; and Uyiosa Primary School, Uzebu; all in Oredo Local Government Area of the state. Governor Okpebholo wondered the kind of “EdoBest” programme ran by the past administration, saying rather than improving on the fortunes of the people, the initiative rather deprived the Edo child a comfortable learning environment.
Recall that Prince Kassim Afegbua, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) had on Tuesday while speaking after the inauguration of the State’s Assets Verification Committee by the governor, dismissed ex-Governor Godwin Obaseki’s EdoBest education policy as a fluke.
According to Afegbua, “They talked about education, that we are trying to dismantle the EdoBest education platform. We want to tell you categorically that the on-the-spot-assessment we carried out of some secondary schools in Edo South, it is disheartening to note that whereas the previous government talked about EdoBest, what we saw on the ground was the worst scenario of how education should be – dilapidated schools infrastructure, lack of teachers – and only at the eleventh hour they were rushing from pillar to post to ensure that they plant landmines on the way for us”.
Stopping over at Eweka Primary School, Obazagbon, the visibly flustered governor said, “Look at the situation of this school; it is terrible, and children are here. And this is the so-called EdoBest. For me, this is not acceptable. My administration will fix this school.
“This school must be fenced and by next week Friday, I will be here to see the level of work done because work will commence and in the next few days, you will see the transformation in this school. This school has just five teachers. My administration will correct the wrongs and make amends because our job is to make Edo people happy and our children educated in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
At Oroma Primary School, Amagba, Governor Okpebholo said: “this is PDP’s EdoBest. It is what we are seeing now, but we will come with our Renewed Hope Agenda for Edo people. New things will happen in this school. All that they don’t have, we will provide. In the next few days, construction will be going on here.”
The Governor and his entourage also visited Amagba Secondary School where some persons had encroached on the school’s land. Senator Okpebholo promised immediate fencing of the school while warning perpetrators to desist from encroaching on school lands. At Uyiosa Primary School, Uzebu Community, Governor Okpebholo promised to rebuild the school and provide security as he frowned at the unconducive learning environment.
Some excited residents of the area commended the move to rebuild the school after years of dilapidation.
SUBEB Chairman, Paddy Iyamu, said immediately the Edo State Governor inaugurated him, he gave a marching order that every Edo child in any school in Edo State must matter. He said every Edo child must have access to basic infrastructure and the overall well-being of their learning process must matter.
“We came here yesterday, and what we met on ground was worrisome as this is the only government school in this community. Sadly, the CORA City Obaseki-led administration claimed its building is close to this place. No infrastructure, no learning materials and classroom. It is not habitable. We are here with His Excellency who promised to begin work here to enable every Edo child access to quality education”.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) seemed to suggest a misconception of what its EdoBest was about. Criticizing some of the governor’s actions since taking office, the caretaker committee chairman of the party, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, at a press conference on Tuesday, contended that EdoBest was not about the physical structure of schools.
Dr. Aziegbemi said “The most ludicrous one is Okpebholo’s visit to one school in Ovia North-East and there was this idea that the school is dilapidated; the walls have fallen off, the roof also. I say it clearly; did we ever say that under EdoBest that all the schools in the state have been renovated? EdoBest is not about the physical structure of a school. The whole thing is not centred on only the physical structure. Is it important? Yes, it is important. But there is no government that can do more than over 2,000 schools in the state.
“Under our administration, we did more than 340 schools. What we expect is for the next six months that Okpebholo will be there, he should do the work he thinks he can do for the next six months because after that, we will reclaim our mandate”.
According to the caretaker chairman, “The PDP government has done its best and successfully worked on over 340 schools from the many others across the three senatorial districts. The ball is now in his court to do his part, just as the PDP government did. He should stop complaining and focus on delivering results for the people, if he really has anything to offer the people”.
Faulting the composition of the SUBEB Board, which he insisted was in “total deviation from the provisions of the SUBEB Act”, Aziegbemi said “It confirmed our fears that APC and Okpebholo are only interested in the possibility of award and execution of contracts by SUBEB and not the formulation, regulation and implementation of education policy”.