Evacuates workers from faulty ASUBEB building

Abia State Government has closed 197 private schools, saying they were discovered during verification and assessment exercise to have operated below government’s minimum standard.

The exercise was to determine their level of compliance to minimum standard for private schools. The state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Okey Kanu, who announced this, yesterday, at Government House, Umuahia, while briefing journalists after the state’s weekly  executive council  meeting, said that  their closure was also informed by government’s  determination to reform the education sector.

He said most of the closed schools operated nursery, primary and secondary  against  government’s policy, adding that they  were never certified to run that way.

Kanu, who disclosed that about 900 schools have so far been inspected, said: “The inspection of schools is ongoing and as at the last count, about 900 schools have been inspected. A few of the schools are not so lucky, having failed the test of the required standards and were shut down.”

He added that government had directed the staff of the state  Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) to relocate from the office building to avoid possible catastrophe.

This, according to him, is a proactive measure by government, stressing  that government was doing everything possible to provide a permanent solution to that development.

Also the state Commissioner for Health Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, who was in attendance, said  that over 8,000  residents have accessed the  ongoing   free medical care  being effected  by the state government. She added that the process of enhancing the capacity of the Cottage hospital at Abayi, Aba would soon be completed.