The Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has, in apparent reaction to PREMIUM TIMES’ investigative series, spoken on the rot in the state’s public schools.

The reports, which exposed the harrowing experience pupils, students, and teachers go through in the state’s broken education system – where some poor kids have to sit on bare floor in roofless classrooms to learn – have prompted Nigerians to wonder what has become of the trillions of naira that have been accruing from oil to the state.

Mr Emmanuel linked the Akwa Ibom situation on inadequate resources and the “surge” in enrollments in public schools.

“You know we are running free and compulsory education, even pupils and students from neighbouring states come in here (to Akwa Ibom to learn),” the governor said on June 2 during a press conference to mark the third anniversary of his administration.

The governor mentioned West Itam Secondary School, in Itu, and the Uyo High School, in Uyo, as examples of two secondary schools with student population of over 4,000 and 5,000 respectively in the state because of high enrollment.

“You can imagine even if I provide 1,000 seats today, the surge in population and the way they handle it, tomorrow if you go there, you might see 100 students not being able to get seats, and you’ll go and write ‘oh, Akwa Ibom, this is where we are.’.

“Even the oil money you are reporting, you don’t report that I don’t even get 20 per cent of what I should be getting.

“While our oil prices are going up, our revenue is coming down. And this is where you should shout to the whole world, but nobody is shouting,” the governor said.

Mr Emmanuel said his desire to do more for the state was being frustrated by lack of adequate resources.

He said his administration has renovated more than 346 public schools so far.

“Please when writing some of these things, write as if you are encouraging us to do more,” Mr Emmanuel said. “Don’t write something that will drive away investors.”

A few days before, during an interview with Planet FM in Uyo, Mr Emmanuel had dismissed the PREMIUM TIMES’ reports as being mischievous.

“I know we are not there yet,” he said. “Sometimes when you see people go to the Internet, and probably snap one school out of over 3,000 schools, it is out of mischief.”

The governor did not, however, comment on a foremost technical college, Government Technical College, Ikot Ada Idem, in Ibiono Ibom, which has been shut down and abandoned for more than seven years now.

Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/271684-gov-emmanuel-speaks-on-decay-in-akwa-ibom-schools.html

Front Page: Lalasticlala

“Even the oil money you are reporting, you don’t report that I don’t even get 20 per cent of what I should be getting.

Ok where did the other 80% go?

Front Page: Lalasticlala