EBERE UZOUKWA, PhD
The just concluded two-day media tour of 63 ongoing school projects across the 17 Local Government areas of Abia State has once again highlighted Governor Alex Chioma Otti’s unwavering commitment to transforming the education sector. The projects, ranging from construction and reconstruction to renovation, present a vivid picture of a government that is genuinely prioritizing the future of its children and deliberately investing in human capital development.
At the heart of this transformation is Governor Otti’s bold decision to allocate 20 percent of the 2025 state budget to education. This singular commitment not only exceeds the UNESCO benchmark but also sets a new standard of seriousness in governance across the nation. Beyond budgetary allocation, the administration has recently employed over 5,000 qualified teachers, ensuring that rehabilitated classrooms are staffed by competent professionals. In addition, retraining programs are ongoing to sharpen the skills of both new and existing teachers, underscoring a holistic reform agenda that combines infrastructure renewal with human resource development.
What is unfolding in Abia’s education sector today marks a decisive break from the years of decay, neglect, and rot that once defined public schools under previous administrations. Governor Otti is not only rebuilding schools physically but also restoring confidence in public education, making it qualitative, functional, and accessible to every child in the state.
Sadly, even in the face of this unprecedented progress, a few detractors have continued to peddle lies, blackmail, and deliberate misrepresentation in their desperate attempts to discredit the good intentions and transparent efforts of the Otti administration. Their antics, however, cannot overshadow the glaring evidence of transformation that is visible in every senatorial district of Abia. Parents, teachers, pupils, and indeed the people of Abia can testify to the sincerity, vision, and determination with which Governor Otti is driving this educational revival.
The governor’s vision remains firm: to rescue, reposition, and sustain Abia’s education sector as the true foundation for long-term development. He will not relent in this mission. Rather, he continues to sustain the momentum of reforms, ensuring that Abia’s schools remain free, qualitative, and capable of producing the leaders, innovators, and professionals who will secure the state’s future prosperity.
In Abia today, the silent language of good governance is being spoken fluently through education, and its echoes will resonate for generations to come.
– Dr. Ebere Uzoukwa is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Abia State on Public Affairs.
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