ASUU: AEISCID chides Umahi over ‘university education not for everybody’ comment

The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-cultural in Diaspora (AEISCID), has accused Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State of killing education at all levels in the state, even as the group condemned a statement credited to the governor that “higher education is not for everybody.”

Making comments on the ongoing ASUU strike, the governor reportedly said: “University education is not for everybody and that is the truth.”

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But in a statement released to newsmen in Abuja, the President of the (AEISCID), Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, said the current administration of Umahi has reversed all the gains made in the education sector in the state by the previous administrations.

“It’s justiciable to bring to the fore how the man who is advocating for at least Basic and Secondary education for citizens indeed killed education at those two levels before eventually burying the two State-owned tertiary institutions – Ebonyi State University and the Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo.

“We are aware that Umahi had inherited an Ebonyi that had a near excellent performance in academic examinations such as WAEC, NECO and other competitive academic contests like debates. The State’s Debating Championship team led by Professor Okpata made Nigeria proud even at the continental level.”

According to Oluchukwu, “the history of education in Ebonyi is such that the first civilian Governor, Sen. Dr Sam Egwu deliberately offered free and compulsory education for all Ebonyians at least up to Secondary level with the government registering at least NECO for finalist students.

“Majority of today’s PhD holders and Professors particularly in the State-owned University were products of Egwu’s HIPACT programme – a carefully planned foreign Scholarship programme designed by the education-loving administration of Dr. Egwu.

“This was further consolidated by his successor, Chief Martin Elechi who felt the need to sustain the education legacies. His government brought Ebonyi to the limelight with proper remunerations for teachers and attracting funds and investments in UBEB from the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC.

“This was, in addition, to fully supporting and funding the State’s Literary and Debating Society, the State’s Scholarship Board and prompt payment of bursaries to students including sponsoring and supporting Law students to Law Schools.

“AEISCID is still abreast that it was so seamless that even a local government chairman or a development centre coordinator could pay tuition fees and procure laptops cum other supports for law students going to the Law School. The teachers, particularly at the primary school level were properly remunerated.

“In WAEC performance under Elechi, Ebonyi came only second after States like Anambra in the entire South East region and maintained top in some academic competitions like debate.

“Upon ascending to the number one seat of power, however, Umahi immediately turned the table.

“Since then, Umahi has plunged the education sector in Ebonyi into a deeper mess. It is so bad that in his over 7 years reign, it has never been reported that he made a brief stop over in any of the public education facilities – be there Primary, Secondary or Tertiary institutions in the State.

“The only time he visits EBSU is to harass the managers (who himself appointed) to up their revenue games. He even taxes the institution after reducing it’s subventions by over 50%.

“He only laments that the place can only be run as a business and that he’s not making enough profits from the school because the management is not good businessmen and women.”

While describing tuition fees in Ebonyi as “criminally outrageous”, the statement said: “Ebonyi public Secondary Schools are now very unaffordable that it costs over N15,000 to obtain a common Junior Secondary School Certificate.

“Parents pay through their noses to see their children and wards through the Senior Secondary classes up to SS3 when they are eventually forced to break banks in order to register their children and wards for WAEC and NECO.”