OPINION: OTTI'S MASTER PLAN THAT WOULD TURN AROUND THE FORTUNES OF ABIA IN EDUCATION - By. Ferdinand Ekeoma

The APGA Governorship Candidate, Dr. Alex Otti tenaciously upholds this progressive truism hence his visionary plans to revitalise the education sector through a system of partnership that would involve the missionaries, the organised private sector and international NGOs.

Dr Otti realises that Abia's education system is comatose and only by bringing every stakeholder on board to build a strategic partnership with the government can any effort at salvaging the sector be realistic.

He has promised to return schools to the original owners (The churches), and provide them with subventions that would enable them run effectively and meet the healthy targets which his government would set.

Most rural schools in Abia have less than 5 teachers including the principal and his vice. Students go weeks without seeing a single teacher in their classrooms. Remember that even the principal and the vice may not even bother coming to school considering that the government is owing them 8 months' salary arrears.

The fact is that the Abia state public system is the least competitive in all of the south-east region. With poorly motivated teachers, lack of teaching aids and poor learning environment, there's really nothing to expect from these schools and their students.
Successive PDP administration in Abia State murdered our education at all levels- very much like they mascaraed the state itself. Abia state University Uturu today has become so expensive, that at a point in 2018, the school was closed down and students asked to go home and look for their school fees. Ridiculously, the institution is being made to look like a clannish university where every laid down rule for running the university system is jettisoned for the promotion of cheap political interest.

With the solid plan Dr Alex Otti has proposed (see www.alexotti.com to learn more), the religious organizations will be brought in to bring their expertise in the running of schools as we have seen in several states and even in the state in times past, they shall be empowered with funds to recruit and train teachers, procure learning materials and enforce discipline across board.

The private sector interests and the NGOs will also be accommodated.

Dr Alex Otti will pay attention to rural schools, making sure that adequate manpower is deployed to teach and train our children. The education system shall also be re-evaluated to make room for the teaching and learning of very practical skills that employers would demand.

Where will Otti get the needed funds to fund his strategic education plan for Abia? Simple: he would stop all illegitimate transfers to unproductive stakeholders and members of the ruling class. Rather than transfer millions of public funds to "big menÔÇØ in Asokoro and Lekki, Dr Otti would rather commit funds to the employment of teachers, training of staff and offering scholarships to smart but indigent students.

He would also leverage the funding opportunities provided by many international agencies who are readily available and willing to partner with nations, states and institutions for the advancement of the course of education.

Also, by the time Otti would have stopped the nauseating practices involved in IGR collections, and blocked all leakages, government would have funds available to meet the pressing needs of the people.

What are you waiting for? Dr Otti's coming with a comprehensive development package to get Abia on the fast lane of rapid socio-economic development. Start telling your kith and kin about this game changer and what he has in store for Abia people. Tell them to use their PVCs massively on the 2nd of March this year to birth the change we have sought for for 20 long years.

Abia shall be number 1 with Alex Otti. Let's get it done- now or never.

Don't forget, Alex Otti OFR is the only one that has a manifesto, he is the most qualified, the most serious minded and the most prepared.

Save Abia today, and save the unborn generations of Abia by supporting Alex Otti and voting APGA all the way!