By Emmanuel Obinna Igwe
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Education, Ambassador Dr Donatus Chukwuma Ilang, has urged chairmen of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) across the state to work closely with the Ministry’s Taskforce through Education Secretaries in their respective Local Government Areas to identify and shut down illegal and substandard schools.
Dr Ilang made the appeal during a closed-door interactive session with the NAPPS leadership in Abakaliki. He emphasised the urgency of government intervention in the education sector, describing education as the most essential need of every child that must not be taken lightly.
He stressed the need for collective effort to sanitise the system, noting that the ministry’s monitoring teams and security agencies would soon commence inspection across all Local Government Areas.
“You know the substandard schools within your localities,” he said. “You must take the lead in shutting them down, or the government will shut down yours.”
The commissioner advised parents to enrol their children only in public or duly approved private schools before it becomes too late, adding that the ongoing school census would ensure every child in the state is properly captured.
In another development, Dr Ilang urged NAPPS members to embrace peace and unity, advising them to “let sleeping dogs lie.” He directed the association to regularise its internal records and reconcile any differences within nine days or risk government sanctions.
“You must learn to accommodate one another, show tolerance, and be honest with yourselves,” he stated.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Secondary Education, Hon Peter Nwogbaga, and the Director of Educational Services, Chief Nnanna Ukaegbu, commended the commissioner for his wisdom and calm approach in resolving issues affecting the association. They urged NAPPS members to follow the path of peace and heed the commissioner’s fatherly guidance.
Responding on behalf of the association, the NAPPS State Chairman, Comrade Felix Nomeh, thanked the commissioner and his team for their intervention and pledged the association’s commitment to lasting peace and full cooperation with the ministry.