1. A video of Ezinifite Central Primary School in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State has in the last 24 hours been circulating on the social media. The video shows an old school block used by Primary School 2 pupils which is in a dilapidated state and without desks, chairs and tables.
2. On seeing the video, the Honorable Commissioner for Basic Education, Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha, sent a team of experts from her ministry to visit the school and assess the condition of the block. The team has confirmed that the classroom has not been in use for over five years, even though the person behind the video failed, for some inexplicable reason, to show three other blocks of the school which are in a good state and functioning well. The existing structures look adequate for the schoolchildren population of about 160.
3. Ezinifite Central Primary School is one of the schools returned by the Anambra State Government to the Voluntary Agencies to manage. The process of the handover of the schools to the original owners began under the leadership of Dr Chris Ngige, OON, when he was the Anambra State Governor. The State Government provides considerable funds for the voluntary agencies to run the schools. The partnership between the State Government and Voluntary Agencies has proved to be a critical successful factor in the dramatic educational development of the state which has over the years earned both local and international applause, as Anambra State excells in education beyond even the African region.
4. We understand the Primary Two Block of Ezinifite Central Primary School has for some time been scheduled for demolition by the Church which plans to remodel and build it to modern standards. The Anambra State government supports the Church to pull down the block and build a truly modern school block in its place. No effort should be spared in the task to make Anambra State retain its competitive edge in education in Nigeria and beyond.
God bless Anambra State, the Light of the Nation.
C. Don Adinuba
Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment.
