Disturbed by the untold hardship the volunteer teachers, who were engaged during the past administration in Enugu State, were passing through, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration has announced the regularization of 857 such volunteers, who are graduates as permanent staff of the state government under the Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB).
Briefing journalists after the meeting of the State Executive Council (EXCO), the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ogbuagu Anikwe, who was accompanied by his counterparts in Health and Works and Infrastructure ministries, Dr. Fintan Ekochin and Engr. Greg Nnaji, said that the council took the decision in line with the four-point agenda of the government with regard to quality education and empowerment in the rural areas.
The Information Commissioner explained that the volunteers had a combination of graduates and retired teachers, adding that after certain considerations that will enhance productivity and help improve the standard learning in the rural areas, 857 of the volunteer teachers were considered for regularization.
Mr. Anikwe also disclosed that the council in an effort to improve the quality of education in the rural areas, approved the establishment of two Army Command Secondary boarding schools in the state to be located in Enugu West and North Senatorial Districts, considering the fact that Enugu East already has one, located at the premises of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu.
He further stated that the proposed school at Enugu North Senatorial District will be sited at Boys High School, Orba, Udenu Local Government Area while that of Enugu West will be at Mpu Youth Centre at Aninri Local Government Council, adding that funds have been approved for upgrade of the facilities.
The Commissioner stressed that the state government was focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the rural areas and revealed that there is a proposal for the recruitment of more 1000 teachers for the rural communities, saying “our people need to really understand the concerted efforts of our governor towards the full implementation of his administration’s four-point agenda”.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Nnaji equally told journalists that the council approved the release of the first tranche of N75 million out of a total sum of N250 million as Enugu RAMP-2 Counterpart Fund for 2017, “to improve transport conditions and bring sustained access to the rural population, through rehabilitating and maintaining key rural transport infrastructure in a sustainable manner in selected Nigerian states”.
He noted that the project is a collaboration between the Enugu State Government and the World Bank, the French Development Agency (AFD), the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Project Management (FPMU) RAMP, Abuja, following a recent meeting held at the Government House, Enugu.
Engr. Nnaji stated that the council approved 4 RAMP projects (feeder roads) in the rural areas at the sum of N3.1 billion, covering 143.5 kilometres that would impact positively on the economic fortunes of the state, declaring that “the season of massive construction has come”.
At the briefing, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekochin stated that the council approved a grassroots health programme, “Save One Million Lives”, designed in five components, namely: immunization, malaria control, safe motherhood, family planning and nutrition, with special focus on mothers and children residing in the rural areas.
He added that the sum of N294 million was approved for the programme by the council, stressing that the initiative was in keeping with the state government’s vision to ensure qualitative and affordable healthcare delivery to the people of the state.
