Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, on Wednesday, embarked on inspection of schools in the State, where he frowned at the dilapidated structures as well as the poor sanitary, security and learning conditions in the schools.
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 Edo State.
Okpebholo expressed dismay at the policy of the previous government “Edobest” programme , saying rather than improving on the fortunes of the people, the initiative rather deprived the Edo child a comfortable learning environment.
At Eweka Primary School Obazagbon, the Governor said: “Look at the situation of this school, it is terrible as 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 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, 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.”
Meanwhile , staff and pensioners of the defunct College of Education, Ekiadolor in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, have sent a petition to the governor of the state, Monday Okpebholo, requesting for his intervention in their plight as a “resulting from the repel of the law establishing the then College of Education, Ekiadolor by your predecessor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki without making provisions for the welfare of Staff and Pensioners of the institution.”
According to the aggrieved parties in their petition to Governor Okpebholo routed through the office of the state Head of Service, “this happened five (5) years ago. Thereafter, we made several representations to the government, stating clearly the pains and hardships we have been subjected to in view of this action using all known means available to us.
“Our efforts did not yield any result until shortly before the election when government through a letter Ref: EDDB/CH/639/11 conveyed to us its resolve to make a one-off payment to us.
We were subsequently called for screening, which was concluded. Your Excellency Sir, we waited for payment and it never came despite all further efforts we made to ensure we were paid.
“Your Excellency Sir, we appeal to you through this SOS to use your good office to consider us for payment of our entittements as many of our colleagues have died avoidable deaths, many others are critically ill with no resources to pay for medicals and others groaning under severe pains and hardships as a result of unavailability of resources to do the needful.
“Sir, this is an SOS to you to please right all other areas of the wrongs done, that you urgently, come to our rescue before many more die of hunger and starvation.”