Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has officially handed over to the Roman Catholic mission the King David gifted children academy and State Vocational college established by his administration.
Also handed over to the Church were three other technical colleges formerly owned by the State government: Girls Technical College, Agba, Ishielu Local Government Area; Government Technical College, Abakaliki; and Ehugbo Technical School in Afikpo North Local Government Area.
Performing the handover ceremony in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, on Thursday, Umahi described the event as both exciting and the making of history.
He extolled the Roman Catholic mission in particular and other Christian missions in general for being at the forefront of instituting moral discipline in academics, and expressed optimism that the schools would receive overall boost under the Church.
He further called on other church missions to make good their interests by officially acquiring the management of other schools in the State.
Umahi, who during the event also performed the ground breaking of the King David’s Gifted Children Academy’s permanent site, stressed that the school was borne out of his dream to raise special children with sustainable positive impact for the State.
He stressed that admission into and academic continuity of any child in the school was strictly on merit and excellent performance, emphasising that any child who scores less than 85 per cent in any examination would be withdrawn to regular secondary schools without recourse to the parent’s social or political status.
Umahi further urged the Catholic mission to also take over the Special Science School as well as the proposed King David Medical University Primary School, both in Uburu, his hometown, maintaining that those were also incorporated in the agreement.
While regretting the high level of moral decadence and corruption in public schools across the country, Umahi expressed trust that the Roman Catholic Church would actualise his dreams and aspirations concerning the schools.
In an address of acceptance, the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Rev. Father Michael Okoro, appreciated the Governor for recognising the ingenuity of the Church in driving quality education.
Okoro maintained that apart from christian evangelism, the early missionaries, among whom was the late Bishop Shanahan, laid strong foundation for educational development of the country through establishment of schools.
He commended the mutual cooperation, partnership and understanding between the State Government and the Catholic Church, pledging to take the schools handed over them to greater academic and moral heights.
Speaking to newsmen, a former Minister of Health, Prof.A.B.C. Nwosu, who graced the event, described Umahi’s achievements as spectacular.
Nwosu noted that the establishment of the special King David’s gifted children’s Academy was an indication that Umahi was prepared to “train Nigeria’s future thinkers, dreamers and doers.”
Earlier, in an opening remark, the Secretary to the State Government and Coordinating Commissioner, Kenneth Ugbala, maintained that the event was a further advancement on the core mandate of the Umahi led administration of providing quality education to the citizens of the state.
The event was also attended by former Minister of Women Affairs, Josephine Anenih, among others.
