Theft of Public School Property and Gov. Ottis’ determination to Recover Abias’ Commonwealth
By Chukwuma Elvis
Primary and Post Primary Education infrastructure in Abia is a legacy bequeathed the State from the colonial era, lasting through independence and into present day. Sadly, most if not all first generation Primary and Secondary Schools in Abia are presently a shadow of what they were in the glory days.
Some have completely shut down while those yet operating are only doing so in name and not projecting any quality in relation to what they stood for when they were first established.
First generation scholars and professionals of Igbo extraction and many other persons from outside Igboland, got their foundational training in these schools; some of them mission schools while others government owned.
Time was when our fathers and uncles would speak glowingly and pride themselves in the schools they’ve attended and how it was the best in the South East of Nigeria. Those were referred to as first generation schools established mostly under the British colonial government and they stood out in terms of infrastructure and learning.
A hallmark of schools back in the day was the large expanse of land they occupied allowing such schools room for future development as enrollment increased, within a predetermined perimeter clearly defined and recognised by all. These landed property were held sacred and no one deared encroach on them even in situations were they are not fenced. Locals from communities that donate such lands don’t trespass to even farm!
But in this generation, land speculators and cronies of those who have been in power in the past have descended on landed property belonging to both first and second generation public schools decimating same, converting them to private use.
It is reported that some have gone ahead to carve out large swathes of land belonging to public schools to build private residential quarters and have gone ahead to reside in them and leased portions out to others. Such speculators and illegal occupants have now assumed authority as landlords over public schools’ property. What effrontery!
Coming into office with the determination to recover all stolen public property and financial resources, Abia state governor Dr Alex Otti has focussed his gaze on landed property hitherto belonging to public schools across the state which over time have been appropriated by a few who felt privileged and connected to high office granting them access and the courage to steal these lands, converting same to private commercial purposes.
Governor Otti had earlier declared a state of emergency in the education sector with a pledge to revamp Public Schools in Abia. In this quest, the present government discovered these atrocious acts by perpetrators from the past administration and their cronies. It is now obvious why teachers were not paid leading to a loss of morale and motivation to teach, further discouraging enrolment in public schools.
As the population of public schools dwindled, their premises were left fallow allowing land speculators and ‘barefaced thieves’ to encroach, stealing Abias’ commonwealth.
In the first instance, one hundred and eighty schools have been identified across the state requiring urgent attention to recover landed assets belonging to such schools from the hands of illegal occupants and land speculators who took them over in a brazing display of avarice and unbridled desire to acquire wealth even in the face of trampling public interest and the collective good.
After identifying the number of schools encroached upon by land speculators, Gov. Ott went further to set up a high powered committee to go all out and recover these school premises. The committee is led by no less a person than the Chief of Staff to the governor in the person of Pastor Caleb Ajagba while the commissioner for education Prof. Uche Eme will function as the secretary to the committee amongst other members.
The committee was given a clear mandate by the governor to recover every public school property taken over by those cruel enough not to know the difference between sacred land and a fallow ground!
It is instructive to note that not long after the committee on the recovery of public school property was introduced to the public, many came forward with information on hitherto unknown public school premises already encroached upon by land speculators outside of the one hundred and eighty earlier listed by the state government. This has invariably expanded the scope of the committee, making it lest likely that any public school requiring attention will be missed.
Abians will continue to cooperate with the government of Dr. Alex Otti seeing that he has the mandate of the people to do that which is in the best interest of the majority and not that of a few persons. This is a departure from the past as can be seen with issues around the illegal appropriation of landed property belonging to public schools endorsed by those in office before now.
It is never too late to do good particularly when it’s in the best interest of the public and the governor has vowed that all stolen lands belonging to the people will be recovered. The same avowed determination has been communicated to the committee and they have set the ball rolling with the recovery of portions of the famous Government College Umuahia taken over several years ago by illegal occupants and their sponsors.
These illegal occupants would rather that Government College and other such famous citadels of learning spread across Abia go into extinction and their grounds converted to private property. So long as they get served, they don’t ‘care a hoot’ about others!
Well, that’s not going to happen anymore – there is a new sheriff in town with a different mindset and his lieutenants are of the same mindset; committed to recover and restore Abias’ stolen estate. They are single-minded in this onerous task and they have been equipped to go all out to reverse decades old rot in Abias’ education sector.
Similarly, the state government have advised organisations managing schools’ handed back to them not to abuse this privilege by turning such schools over to other uses outside of education. The government categorically stated that such schools must be returned to the state in the event that organisations managing them are not able to do so anymore going forward.
The purpose for handing over such schools is to improve quality and not to convert same to other commercial uses outside of teaching and learning.
In line with the move to update curriculum and to retrain teachers to fit into 21st century demands in teaching and learning in Abia, the recovery of school premises compliments the collective effort by the government of Dr. Alex Otti to change the negative narrative in the sector.
It can be stated without equivocation that the government of Dr. Alex Otti operates on the premise that no society can advance without functional, qualitative education and thus all effort is geared towards revamping education through the resuscitation of the public schools system from near total collapse; which was the state of things when the administration came into office.
A new dawn is on the horizon in Abias’ education sector and it is championed by the visionary Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, Governor of Abia state. There is a strong reason to be cheerful because Education in Abia is on the move to the promised Land.
We March with confidence into the New Abia.
Chukwuma Elvis, Public Affairs Commentator.