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Gabriel Dike
The Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) has made a passionate appeal to Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State to reconsider his administration plan to close over 1,200 schools in the state.
AFED President, Mr. Emmanuel Orji, said with the high rate of out-of-school children in the country, Governor Emmanuel should look for away out of the planned closure of 1, 200 schools and the consequences it will have on the state, pupils, and parents.
Orji told The Education Report that the state government should put the plan on hold and give it a second thought because of the implication the action will have on the education system of the state.
Said he: “My appeal to Governor Emmanuel Udom over his plan to close over 1,2000 low-cost schools in Akwa Ibom State, is to reconsider the decision. Democracy comes with its cost of which decent life expectancy is not a luxury under it no matter how difficult it is for the government to give its people.
“I wish therefore to call on the governor to drop the idea of closing such schools as its implications are very scary. Imagine we are to put the figures of those to be displaced from this action at a minimum of 100 learners per school with a minimum of 10 staff your guess could be better than mine.
He disclosed that AFED is willing to come over to assist the state government in ensuring that the 1,200 schools are given the opportunity to meet government regulations on running such a complementary role in the provision of education for all.
According to him, the quest to provide educational opportunities should not be left alone to government, adding “it is on this note I request that the peoples’ governor must not forget in a hurry how these people rallied around him to return him against all odds. That this is not a way to reward a person not to talk about such a voting value chain.
“Nigeria with over 10million out-of-school children should call for a collective and partnership from every willing hand. As a government, we should concentrate effort in providing enabling environment and training that could help all do it the right way,’’ he stated.
Orji advised the state government to seek documents on how other states like Lagos, Edo and others integrated low-cost schools to enable them to contribute their quota in providing quality education.
He noted that ‘’the research documents on this from DFID DEEPEN effort to help in the repositioning of this effort will be very helpful and I tell his Excellency that AFED would be ready on the ground to provide the necessary assistance.’’
