Reactions Trail Mbah’s Promise To Open Enugu Smart Schools January

Reactions have trailed the New Year promise of Gov Peter Mbah that academic activities would be operational in all the Smart Green Schools under construction in Enugu State this January.

The governor had during his New Year message to the people of the state promised that over 300,000 school children would “walk into schools that prepare them for the emerging world”.

THE WHISTLER reports that the schools are being built in all the 260 wards of the state.

According to Mbah, “The Smart Green Schools stand ready for January opening. Digital whiteboards, Robotics labs, solar power, dedicated teachers, and the largest school feeding programme in our history await the children.

“All 260 Smart Schools will open fully, offering digital learning, science labs, renewable power and a free daily meal to more than 300,000 children.”

While some residents believe it is attainable, others expressed doubt. An educationist, Mr Afam Nnaji, said he would not vouch for the governor “because we are already in January and work still ongoing in many of the schools”.

Quoting him, “I can say that probably 70 percent of the schools might be accomplished, but not all. The structural work is ongoing in most of them. By what the state presented to us as a prototype, the phase of equipping these schools with smart learning tools is yet to start at those ones where the building is still being worked on. This is January unless he meant the buildings only.”

Nick Ezenwoye, an education consultant, however, advised the residents to have faith in the Mbah administration.

According to him, “He is an agenda-setting governor. He promised running water in the metropolis within 180 days of assumption of office, and he accomplished it, though some reticulation still ongoing. January is just beginning. Let’s give him the benefits of doubt.”

Hillary Ezeme, a politician, advised Gov Mbah to ensure equitable commencement of the smart green schools.

“These schools should start uniformly,” he said. “A situation where some are operational and some are not is unacceptable. Such will enthrone academic discrepancies among school children that will write the same external exams. Rumours have it that smart schools have started operations in some places.”

The governor had in his message said, “The story of Enugu today goes beyond our schools, roads and hospitals. It is written in our self-belief, in our partnership, and in the courage we summoned to imagine a future far brighter than the one we inherited.

“Three years ago, much of what we now take for granted existed only as hope in the hearts of a determined people. The smart schools rising in all our wards were once nothing more than a bold idea.”