Abia Education Commissioner vows to close substandard schools

By Ijendu Iheaka

 January 24, 2018 

The Commissioner of Education, Abia State, Prof. Ikechi Mgboji has restated his commitment to close all schools in the state which did not meet standard requirement for their operations.

Mgboji disclosed this while responding to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) inquiry concerning Pledy Academy Primary school, Umuode Aba which is located within a poultry environment.

The commissioner said that the ministry has set up a task force to enforce the rules and to bring culprits to book across the state.

He assured that once the task force which has started working gets to Pledy Academy Primary School, Umuode, Aba, it will be closed down for good.

He warned parents to be careful and check the schools where they send their children in order not to endanger the lives and academic future of such children.

When our reporter visited the school in the surburb of Umuode, Aba which its neighbours refer to as “uloakwukwo umuokuko” or "poultry school", a female teacher linked the Principal to speak to our reporter through phone.

Mr Ndudim Ogbonna who identified himself on the phone as the Principal of the school said that the “issue is that the school is an extension of Pledy Academy, Agburike, Aba.

“And the back of the school is blocked with cellophane material to cut off the poultry. The poultry is a big farm and even the entrepreneurship drive now shows that a school can have a fish pond for its entrepreneurship project.

“I wonder where the person who gave you that information is coming from. You are there so you can see things for yourself”.

He however said that Sanitary Inspectors who visit the school’s main location occasionally to check their environment have not visited the school’s extension.

Ogbonna said that Pledy Academy has paid Abia state Ministry of Education for the approval of the school’s extension but said that they were yet to visit the site which is located within poultry.

Our reporter who visited the school’s extension reports that during his stay, breeze was blowing fine chicken feathers to the classroom area from the poultry which was demarcated with cellophane material.