THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014
40
THE SOUTHEAST REPORT
Getting education right in Anambra P
IQUED by the conditions of schools in Anambra State, despite immense efforts by the administration of former Governor Peter Obi, the state government has entered into a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement with the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) to improve the awful situation. The government took the step because it believes that the education sector has not taken its pride of place. Most of the schools lack adequate teachers, teaching aids, classrooms and their environments have become dumping grounds for refuse. Buttressing the reasons for the partnership, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, said the Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, one of the schools in Onitsha, was turned to a refuse dumping ground. Garbage, which traders were said to have thrown into the school, would take about three trailers to evacuate. It is on this ground that the state government brought
From Nwanosike Onu, Awka
stakeholders together to discuss the issue and then chart a way forward. Some students receive their lessons under trees as some of the buildings of some secondary schools are dilapidated. Omenugha lamented that most of the girls’ schools have dwarf walls rather than good perimeter fences. Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting at J-Jumac Hotels in Awka, a representative of UNICEF, Dr Agatha Nzeribe said the agency introduced the package to improve the state of education. She added that all stakeholders such as Ministries of Information, Economic Planning and Budget, Education, Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) and Post-Primary School Commission (PPSC), among others, should pool resources in order to ensure success. According to Nzeribe, UNICEF, as a development partner in 10 of the states in the Southeast, South-
•Olisa Emeka of ASUBEB (right) and Dr. Nzeribe of UNICEF south and Benue states, have a legal frame work that is transparent and accountable. Noting that education is a right, she said it is an expensive venture that UNICEF had intervened in to
•Prof. Omenugha (left) and Lady Joy Ulasi of PPSSC •Continued from page 35 “He said if the man is satisfied with the way I will treat him that he (Ibezim’s Oga) will become one of my regular customers. “I was happy that my neighbour could be so concerned to have thought it wise to bring such a customer to me. I was reluctant to go back to our compound because it was not long I left our yard for the office. He told me not to worry because he came with a car, assuring me that he would take me back to my office. Reluctantly, I agreed to follow him to the house. “On our way, he suggested that we take the alternative road to avoid traffic jam which is usually associated with the road. “At a point, he pulled the car over. While I was inside the car waiting, he quietly came over to the door where I was sitting, opened it and grabbed me on the throat. He asked me to say my last prayer because, he said, I was going to die. He kept pressing me hard on the neck as he tried to strangle me to death. “There was nobody on the road to come to my rescue. He pressed me so hard that my two eyes were bulging out. I could barely talk or cry out as a result of what he did to me. “On hearing the sound of a motorcycle driving towards our direction, he stopped pressing me so as to avoid being suspected by the motorcycle
block the loopholes, adding that the proposal was made to Anambra State because it had done well in implementing its educational policies. “We are looking forward to Anambra being another Singapore in this part of the world in nearest future,” she said. In a paper entitled “Moving Forward”, the resource person, Dr Rosemary Nwangwu listed about five reasons to justify the partnership. These include lack of equipment and supplies in schools, weak leadership, uninspired personnel, bureaucratic red tape and politicisation of the education sector. She said private schools; most of them unregistered, cashed in on these situations in public schools to flourish. However, she praised Anambra State Government for what it had been able to do not only in the education sector but also in making sure that peace returns to the state. For Prof. Omenugha, it was an exciting moment for the state, the education sector and indeed, UNICEF. She said other sectors depend on education. Therefore, government alone cannot handle it without the input of the public and other cor-
porate organisations. She noted that the education sector is going through lots of challenges. That, according to her, informed UNICEF’s intervention. She said: “PPP means that they are reaching out to people other than government to address the enormous problems in the education sector.” These groups, according to her, included the traditional rulers, town union presidents, non-governmental organisations, corporate entities and other individuals to get education right in the state. “Government has solely managed and financed education and others should contribute their quota for us to drive education to the level it is supposed to be. Government alone cannot handle it,” she said. Continuing, she said UNICEF had created that platform for Anambra, adding that the state would have to do its NEEDS assessment. “We need enormous amount of money to succeed in this exercise because erosion is another huge problem facing some of these schools. That is why there is going to be a kind of trust fund in whatever we are going to do,” she said.
‘ Patient needs N600,000 for surgery rider. Immediately the person passed by. As luck would have, he stopped pressing me after he heard two women trekking and approaching towards our direction. “Suspecting that the women have seen us and could raise the alarm, he pulled me out of the car and while he was trying to reverse and escape, he hit me with the car and I sustained severe injury on my legs. “It was at that point that the women raised the alarm which attracted other people to the scene. It was a woman, one of the early callers at the scene of the incident, who recognised me and went to inform my husband. “Before my husband could come, some public-spirited individuals had arranged for a tricycle that took me to a private hospital, at least to save. At that point, my seven-month-old baby was nowhere to be found.” On the relationship between both families before the incident, Oluchi explained: “We had not had issues. We have been living peacefully. I used to exchange home movies with the wife (Mama Mimi as we fondly called her). Since the incident happened, I learnt she visited but was sent back by my relations. She has
To pay the bill at this hospital is difficult because I cannot afford it. Sometimes, I borrow to pay but there is no money to pay for the hospital bill again. We are appealing to the government and public-spirited individuals to come to our aid to save the life of my wife. We are really facing a critical time at the hospital now
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not called or sent text message(s),” she said. On what life has been since the accident, Oluchi added that because of the harsh situation we find ourselves in, to eat is even a problem. We don’t even have the money to offset the medical bill. I have started walking gradually with a walking stick. “I am appealing to public-spirited individuals and the government to
please come to my aid because it has not been easy for my family. “The doctor has been so good to us because there are things he will decide to do freely. Police from Osisioma has equally visited me here to take my statement. My husband told me that the case has been transferred from Osisioma to the Aba Area Command. Mr. Archibong Victor, who cor-
roborated his wife’s account, said it was the Geometric Company that brought his wife to the hospital, adding that after taking care of some of their medical bills, they abandoned the couple to their fate. The company’s vehicle has been in the custody of Osisioma Police Station. “Though they paid about N200,000, they said they will not help us again. That is why we are still here. There is nobody to help us. “To pay the bill at this orthopedic hospital is difficult because I cannot afford it. Sometimes, I borrow to pay but there is no money to pay for the hospital bill again. We are appealing to the government and publicspirited individuals to come to our aid to save the life of my wife. We are really facing a critical time at the hospital now.” He said though Mr. Ibezim is facing a murder case in the law court, his priority is seeing his wife’s condition better and improved. You can save the life of mother of two by offering financial assistance through First Bank account number; Kalu Oluchi 3029875848. For more information, you can contact her on 08069242807.