12th September, 2018
Chief Austine Edeze, former Chairman, Ebonyi Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), says he will address decay in the education sector if elected governor of Ebonyi in the 2019 governorship election.
Edeze, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this on Wednesday in Abakaliki, during his formal declaration to contest the governorship election.
Edeze who picked the nomination form on Tuesday, Sept. 11, decried the neglect of the education sector by the present state administration under Gov. Dave Umahi.
He vowed to reposition the education sector if elected governor in 2019.
According to him, education is the foundation and key to all human development.
He said that the eight local government areas in the old Abakaliki zone produced only eight medical doctors before the creation of Ebonyi in 1996.
Edeze, who was a former Local Government Education Secretary for Izzi Local Government Area, noted that the former Gov. Sam Egwu’s administration changed the sad narrative through strong and solid educational programmes.
He stressed that Ebonyi under his administration would spare no efforts in ensuring that the sector received a pride of place.
“No nation develops without a very sound and solid educational policy and programmes because education develops the total man.
“Because the people can never develop without a solid foundation in education, and that is why I am coming, and really prepared to give my people the real education programme that will develop us in our own pace.
“Yes, we have a pace and every nation has a pace of development and you don’t jump the gun.
“I am also believing that if we give our people real and solid education and give them opportunity for empowerment; especially empowerment that is linked to agricultural development, then we will make our people self-sufficient,” he said.
He listed health, road infrastructure, rural development, youth and women empowerment as areas that would receive key attention if he is elected governor.
“If you are not healthy you will not be able to attend to other human needs, and so we will give serious attention to the health sector by providing adequate health facilities to enhance our health services,” he added.
Edeze also said that his administration would initiate policies and programmes that would stimulate economic growth and development as well as job creation for the youths.