Monarch appeals for patronage of rural schools.

From Maurice Okafor, Enugu.

Rural to urban migration of pupils and students is currently a cankerworm militating in the Enugu state school system. But the traditional ruler of Ahani -Achi, in the Oji River local government area of Enugu State, Igwe Dr Ralph Nzekwe, at the weekend made a passionate appeal for the reversal of the ugly trend.

Igwe Dr Ralph Nzekwe appealed for the occasion of the commissioning of the renovated Ahani-Achi primary school Okpuno, by officials of the Enugu state government.

In a chat with The AUTHORITY Newspaper, South East post, the monarch said what matters most in the upbringing of every child is the commitment of the child to his/her studies and the dedication of both the teachers and parents in developing the intellectual ability of the child.

His words, “The idea of some parents vacating their children from rural areas to the township for primary and secondary education should be discouraged. It is under developing our communities and we must have to reverse the ugly trend”.

With quality teachers, Children who are gifted and committed to their studies can excel in their education carrier, starting from rural communities. I had my primary education here(Ahani primary school Okpuno), We were thought well by our teachers. From here, I gained admission to Federal government college, Enugu and I had my University education at the University of Nigeria Nsukka(UNN).In a nutshell, the good upbringing I and many others had from this school (Ahani-Achi primary school, Okpuno) packaged our carrier successfully “.

However, Igwe Dr Ralph Nzekwe acknowledged the fact that most schools in the rural areas are in great lack modern techniques of learning. He poured encomiums on Mr Agozie Ibekwe, who facilitated the renovation of the primary school.

He called on the Enugu state government and public-spirited individuals to help in equipping Government Technical College (GTC), Ahani-Achi so that it can enable its students the opportunity of participating in NABTEB and other external exams.

The South East post gathered that Government Technical College (GTC) Ahani Achi, which was established over ten years ago, has no laboratory and workshop to aid its students in practicals and technical skills to stand as artisans and become self-employed on graduation.

Due to the lack of workshops, Government Technical College (GTC) is not permitted among other government technical colleges that conduct NABTEB exams for its students.

The poor state of infrastructure at Government Technical College (GTC), Ahani Achi, has been a pain in the neck of the community. Requests to the state government in the past decade to build and equip a workshop for the college has remained a mirage.

The Enugu state commissioner for education, Professor Uche Eze, who was represented by the state Education evaluator zonal leader(Awgu zone), Mrs Udenta Angela, extolled Mr Agozie Ibekwe, for facilitating the renovation of Ahani primary school, Okpuno Ahani-Achi.

Earlier on, the chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board(ENSUBEB), Chief Ikeje Asogwa, the state commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon Manfred Nzekwe, performed the rituals of tape cutting to mark the commissioning of the school officially.

The Education secretary for the Oji River local government area, Elder Chukwuka Benedict, equally extolled the unity and sincerity of purpose with which the community executed the project.

He said the truth lies that the state government due to prevailing adverse economic realities, can no longer bear the burden of catering for public schools alone, therefore they are putting on clarion calls through the headteachers in appealing to concerned spirited individuals in the various communities to show concern. He described Ahani-Achi as a typical example of a community, where the strategy has worked out.
The head Teacher of Ahani-Achi primary school, Mrs Bridget Eze, while commending the facilitator emphasized the structures has provided an improved learning environment for both the pupils and teachers.

Elder Christian Uhara(JP) who donated the land upon which the structure situates, said the primary school has not witnessed the standard of infrastructure bequeathed to it presently, since over thirty years of its existence.

The South East post noted that the initial state of the 7-block classroom block was a mere empty hall, without any major structure to demarcate the classes. The renovation comprised of demarcating each of the classes with a block wall, each of the classroom ceiled and decorated with a ceiling fan, while the ground floor and pavement was tiled. The entire building which is the major structure out of three in the primary school was thoroughly painted, as part of the renovation.

The Ahani-Achi rural dwellers present at the commissioning commended Mr Ibekwe for luring the Non-governmental organization (NGO) which sponsored the project, with kind support from the rural dwellers and many others who motivated and gingered the success of the renovation.