Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, has restated the resolve of his administration, to return all Mission Schools back to their original owners before the end of the year.
Nwifuru made the assertion on Sunday during a Pastoral Visit of the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki Dr Peter Nworie Chukwu, to the Government House Chapel, Ochoudo Centenary City Abakaliki.
Apparently responding to the appeal made by Bishop Chukwu, Governor Nwifuru acknowledged that the Catholic Church remains strategic to the attainment of quality teaching and learning in schools in the State.
The Governor directed the Commissioner for Primary
and Secondary Education and his counterpart in the Ministry of Justice, to immediately commence the process of handover of the Schools to the Missions.
Nwifuru commended Bishop Chukwu for coming to bless the congregation of the Government House Chapel, assuring of government readiness to carry along the Churches including in his administration.
He cautioned the Church against meddling into politics, insisting that their primary duty should be to preach salvation to mankind.
“I am not ashamed to identify with the Church, I believe that God Almighty is the owner of the Church”
” I have always told people that I am not ordinary person otherwise how can a former bricklayer, conductor and motorcycle mechanic become Governor within a space of ten years”
“We are very much badly challenged in the area of Education, we have agreed in Executive Council, that we are going to send 100 First Class and Second Class Upper Graduates to countries of their choice to further their education when they come back they will teach in our Schools”
“We will also send 300 persons to do their Masters in any Nigeria Higher Institutions of their choice”
“We have a lot of challenges in the Education sector and as far as I am concerned we are going to get it back by having quality teachers in Primary and Secondary Schools.
“We won’t hesitate, if the Catholic Church is ready to take back their Schools we are ready and not only Catholic Church, every other Churches whose Schools were taken over”
“I am happy that my Lord Bishop said he is going to support me, if I have physical support and now spiritual support, there is no reason I will not perform, I am very sure I am going to perform.
The Governor assured that the chapel will never be used to preach politics .
Earlier in a homily, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Dr Peter Nworie Chukwu, appreciated Governor Nwifuru for positive steps so far taken in his administration.
Bishop Chukwu restated the readiness of the Catholic Church under his leadership, to support the Governor to achieve his goals for the State.
He enjoined all Cabinet members to cooperate with the Governor to bequeath enduring legacies on the citizenry.
“If there is failure in your area there is a failure in the whole Government, the success of any member of the Cabinet is the success of the Governor and that of the whole Government”
“So today’s Bible Reading is an invitation for all members of the current Government to assist the Governor to achieve his goals for the State.
Bishop Chukwu commended past Governors of the State for opening up rural communities that has accelerated ongoing transformation in the State today.
“The question is what legacies will Governor Nwifuru leave behind, he cannot do it alone that is why he assembled this team, your role as Cabinet members is to proffer him critical advice”
“He has started very well, I am a critical observer of what is going on, the first thing that caught my attention was payment of gratuity to retired civil servants”
“The other thing that he has done is to reach out to the Church, the Governor is the political head of the State”
“The Bishop is the Spiritual Leader, that is why I am here to show that we are ready to work with his Government’
“We are going to cooperate with the Governor to turn the story around for Ebonyi State, in no distant time Ebonyi will be a shining example in entire Nigeria”
“I challenge you to accomplish great things for our people, if you do so your name will go down in history as a great Leader of our time”
“In the area of Education, the Church is ready to work with the Government, those Schools formerly owned by the Catholic Church that were forcefully taken away from us after the Civil War, the Governor knows our feelings about that
