The Akwa Ibom State Council of Elders has called on the government of Akwa Ibom State to implement the Education Road map of the State and also undertake supervision of the public hospitals and health centres in the State.
The Akwa Ibom State Council of Elders made the call in a communique issued on Wednesday after the Council’s last meeting of the year.
The Chairman of the Council, Obong Victor Attah said while it is commendable that the government has improved infrastructural facilities in public schools through model schools and has also set up a committee to improve the quality of feeding in public boarding schools, there are other several issues that need to be addressed to put the school system in State back on track.
Represented by the Vice Chairman of Council, Chief Nduese Essien, the Council said it is their recommendation that the State Government take a comprehensive look at Akwa Ibom State Education Roadmap and bring out areas it can implement to take the school system in the State back to an appreciable level.
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The Akwa Ibom Education Roadmap was produced by a 17- member think-tank committee on education during an Education Summit held in September 2019 and chaired by Mr Hillary Inyang, a Professor of Geoenvironmental Engineering, which came up with a-10 year education roadmap (2020-2030) containing holistic, strategic and foresighted plans, actions, interventions, and timelines.
The Council said ” It will be necessary at this stage for the government to take a comprehensive look at that report and bring out areas it can implement to take our school system back to an appreciable level
“This State was noted to be among the best in terms of quality of education and management of schools. That report will assist.
The Council said for the meantime, the government should set up an Inspectorate team to be visiting both primary and secondary schools on a regular basis to ensure that teachers attend school in time and also run the school in a manner that will produce effective results.
While noting that they are very impressed over the government’s plan to build model schools across the 31 local governments of the State, the Council noted ” This is a step in the right direction. However, the schools do not start and end with infrastructure. We need staff which are grossly inadequate at the moment. That should also be looked into.”
Council also commended the State Government for the proposal to build model primary health centres in all local government areas.
They explained that these model health centres are supposed to be a pattern which existing health centres should emulate.
The Council said with several existing health centers across the State, there is need for the government to improve the facilities available in these health centres and let the Model Health Centres remain a model for the existing centres by improving them up to a level that they should operate as a model health centre.
The Council also noted that there is need for effective supervision of the health sector especially in regards to how payments and funds are handled.
They noted “Council observed that most public hospitals and health centres in the State do not accept payment through Point of Sales (POS) or electronic transfer. They insist on payment by cash and this cash is not receipted for. This has been happening for a very long time. This has deprived the hospitals of the needed revenue for effective running of its facilities.
“It will be necessary for the government to ensure that whatever is paid for goes into the account of the government and is not pocketed by individuals who are working for the government.”
The Council is made up of all former Governors and their Deputies, all former Ministers, all former Senators, all former Ambassadors, all former Secretaries to Government, all former Vice Chancellors, all retired State Chief Judges and all retired Judges of the State, Federal, Appellate and Supreme Courts.
Others in the council are former Commissioners who left office in the last 15 years, all retired Military Officers not below the rank of Colonel in the Army and their equivalent in the Navy and Air Force and all retired Police Officers not below the rank of Commissioners and their equivalent in the DSS, Customs, Immigration and Civil Defence.
