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Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, Anambra State’s Governor, has awarded N₦1.524 billion in checks to mission schools. This move is to accentuate the government’s commitment to elevating education standards and infrastructure.
The disbursement of the checks to Anambra Mission Schools’ owners and operators by Soludo was carried out at a meeting held at Government Lodge, Amawbia.
The sum of N2,000,000 was allocated to each of the 762 Anambra Mission Schools.
According to the statistical data, the Catholic Mission, governing a substantial 459 schools, received a grand total of N918 million, whereas the Anglican Mission, with 275 schools, obtained N550 million in total.
N16 million in funds was returned to the Salvation Army, which manages eight schools.
Twenty schools affiliated with the Pentecostal Mission received a combined sum of N40 million.
In his statement, Soludo pointed out that the education sector is a substantial field, and his administration has an important agenda dedicated to its improvement.
Soludo commended the proprietors of mission schools for their notable involvement in the healthcare sector, which includes the majority of hospitals, and expressed his concerns about the condition of public sector aspects in education and healthcare.
He observed that both sectors are fundamentally regressing and noted that part of his agenda is aimed at their recovery, as it aligns with the primary role of government in any part of the world.
Upon his assumption of office, the governor noted that there were no doctors in any of the general hospitals.
However, he pledged to equip all general hospitals with solar power, aiming to provide students and pupils, especially the underprivileged, with access to a top-notch healthcare and educational system.
‘In the area of education, this is why we are here, and what we are trying to achieve in education is also the same we want to achieve in the public health sector,’ Governor Soludo said.
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Soludo voiced his displeasure regarding the societal division that is emerging, where one group consists of the children of the poor who are often abandoned in public schools, while the other group includes the children of the rich or average who have access to mission or private schools.
He reiterated his commitment to nurturing human capital within the state, with the aim of creating a workforce that is not only productive locally but also exportable globally.
He also emphasised his intention to modernize and transform schools into technologically advanced, smart institutions. Additionally, he revealed his plans to launch Leadership Science and Technology Schools.
‘We shall be encouraging ndi Anambra to adopt schools in their communities but even if you can’t, you can at least buy a pencil for a child. You will be amazed at what difference you can make. Club of Patrons will be formed in these public schools. We want communities to take ownership of these schools,’ he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the operators of Mission schools for their longstanding dedication and their ongoing commitment, likening them to a nearly indispensable supplement to the government.
Bishop Moses Ezedebego, Chairman of PFN, Anambra State Chapter, giving a vote of thanks on behalf of Anambra Mission Schools, appreciated the Governor’s leadership, highlighting it as an example of religious denominations working cohesively, akin to a family.
Bishop Ezedebego underscored the fact that the Governor has brought relief to uncountable millions of economically disadvantaged citizens in Anambra, and his actions will leave an enduring mark in the state’s history.
Soludo was accompanied by his Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim.
Other officials who attended the occasion were Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, Chief of Staff, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, Bishop Awka Diocese and Archbishop of the Niger Province, Most Rev. Alexander Ibezim, the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, Most Jonas-Benson Okoye, Bishops among others attended the meeting which featured a debrief by the Commissioner for Health regarding the health sector.
