Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State on Thursday, handed over cheques totaling N1.524 billion to mission schools in the state, as the state government’s support to efforts by the missions aimed at improving the quality of education and infrastructure.
At a meeting with the owners and operators of the mission schools in the state, held at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, the governor handed over the cheques to a total of 762 Anambra Mission Schools.
Each of the schools received N2,000,000 each from the government.
Eight (8) schools returned to Salvation Army Schools received a total sum of N16,000,000.
Two hundred and seventy-five (275) schools returned to Anambra Anglican Mission Public Schools received a total sum of N550,000,000, while four hundred and fifty-nine (459) schools returned to Anambra Catholic Mission Public Schools received a total sum of N918,000,000.
Twenty (20) schools initially owned by Anambra Pentecostal Schools received a total sum of N40,000,000.
The gesture had commenced during the tenure of former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi between 2006 and 2014, after he returned the mission schools to their rightful owners.
The initiative was also sustained by the immediate past Governor Willie Obiano and now Soludo is upholding the partnership.
Handing over the cheques, Soludo said the education sector is one large sector, for which his administration has a large agenda.
He commended the support the owners of the mission schools are providing in his government’s agenda to revolutionize the State education sector, assuring them that the partnership with them will continue.
The governor also acknowledged the efforts of the Missions in the area of health, regretting the very poor performance of the public institutions in both Health and Education sectors.
“Both sectors are fundamentally slacking backwards and part of my agenda is to restore them, which is part of the primary duty of government anywhere in the world.
“When I assumed office, no general hospitals had doctors, but we started with the recruitment of health personnel.
“We also want to make sure that all general hospitals will be equipped with solar power so that Anambra people can have access to a qualitative healthcare system, especially the poorest of the poor.
“We have also discovered that hundreds of quack hospitals are in operation and we are committed to cleaning up the sector and make it work,” he said.
“In the area of education,” he continued, “this is why we are here and what we are trying to achieve on education is also the same we want to achieve in the public health sector.”
He expressed worry that the society is creating two sets of citizens; the children of the poor abandoned in public schools and the children of the rich and average who can afford missions or private schools.
According to him, this dychotomy is already being addressed by the huge investments and policy initiatives his government is taking in the education sector, especially the free education policy and massive recruitment of teachers for the public schools as well as the rebuilding of schools’ infrastructure.
Responding, the State Chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Bishop Moses Ezedebego on behalf of all Anambra Mission Schools said Governor Soludo has demonstrated leadership, showing that all religious denominations can work together as a family.
He stressed that the Governor has wiped the tears of uncountable millions of poor ndi Anambra and his deeds today will remain indelible in the annals of the State history.
