Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has embarked upon a state-wide remodeling of public schools. The ongoing remodeling is expected to cover the three senatorial districts of the state.
The governor revealed this when he supervised the distribution of notebooks, textbooks and other instructional materials in Benin City, Edo State capital, on Monday.
Okpebholo ordered the distribution of the books across the 18 Local government areas of the state. He described hoarding of the books as an act of wickedness.
He was in the company of the Edo State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) Executive Chairman, Dr Paddy Iyamu; a former member of the House of Representatives for Oredo Federal Constituency, Hon. Omoregie Ogbiede-Ihama and other top government functionaries.
The governor later inspected facilities at the New Era College, Benin City, a special school for young people involved in sporting activities.
The school was built by late Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, a former governor of the old Bendel State.
“These books you see here were donated by the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for use by Edo children. But Obaseki refused to distribute the books to our children because the president’s face is affixed.
“I want to thank the president for his kind gesture and, for me, the action of the former governor, Godwin Obaseki, is an act of wickedness.
“This warehouse is filled with books donated by the President of Nigeria, but because of the wickedness, he prevented the books from being distributed to the children. Today, we are here to distribute the books to our children.
“This is New Era College at the centre of the city. You are here. See for yourself the rot in the system. We just entered a classroom where our children were taught sitting on the floor. This is the kind of Edobest Programme Godwin Obaseki brought to Edo children.
“I am here with the SUBEB chairman and I am giving him an instruction to put all the modalities on the ground for the commencement of the reconstruction of this school. This school is for Edo children.
“Obaseki refused Edo children the use of these books provided by President Bola Tinubu, but he could not provide seats for the children to sit comfortably while learning.
“The action of the former governor is an act of wickedness of the highest order,” Governor Okpebholo said.
Continuing, he said his administration “is coming back to renovate the school and, in the next few weeks, you will start seeing transformation in this school in terms of reconstruction.
“We have gone round to look at the facilities and structure of the school, and it is in a serious state, desiring attention, and the governor failed to develop the state and the school. It is not acceptable.
“Keeping these books away from our children is wickedness and his actions were wrong. He said he has developed the education system, using Edobest, but what we see here today is not best for our children.”
On his part, the SUBEB chairman, Dr Iyamu, said Governor Okpebholo gave a matching order for the books to be distributed across the 18 local government areas of the state. He said the order will be carried out strictly.
“Obaseki deprived Edo children of using these books provided by the President of Nigeria, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and was stored away from the reach of Edo children,” he said.
