The Abia State Government has taken action by closing 197 private schools that failed to meet the government’s minimum standards. The announcement was made by Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, during a briefing following the Executive Council Meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
These closures are part of the “Reclaim Our Schools Initiative,” a program aimed at improving the education sector and raising the standards of private schools in the state. Prince Kanu emphasized the government’s commitment to education sector reform and stated that approximately 900 schools have been inspected so far, with some falling short of the required standards and consequently shut down.
Furthermore, Prince Kanu revealed that the school inspection process is ongoing and exemplifies the government’s determination to reform the education sector. He also mentioned the commissioning of roads in Aba and repairs on certain roads directed by the Ministry of Works.
In the healthcare sector, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, disclosed that over 8,000 Abians have accessed free medical services provided by the state government. Additionally, Cottage Hospital Aba has undergone improvements and will soon reopen for public use.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzo Nwachukwu, affirmed the credibility of the recently publicized caretaker committee list and announced that a list of councillors would be released in the near future. He clarified that the Transition Committee members have a statutory six-month tenure, renewable by law.
