School feeding video:concerned residents of the state want an expanded probe

Following Governor Umo Eno’s directives to investigate the disturbing video of the Presbyterian Senior Science College, Ididep, in Ibiono Ibom local government area of Akwa Ibom where students were poorly fed, concerned residents of the state want an expanded probe.

They told newsmen that the governor should investigate the rot in the Secondary and Technical Education Board.

It could be recalled that students of the college were seen in a viral video fed with garri and soup which looked like colored water without any condiment despite paying a boarding fee to the school.

The video posted by a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong generated a lot of criticisms and backlash.

To save the state from further embarrassment, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet ran to the school unannounced, suspended the principal, Dr Nse Sunday Umoh and declared government’s decision to investigate comprehensively the state of boarding facilities in the school and the other 25 boarding schools in the state.

She said the review would cover boarding facilities, such as the hostels, dining halls, recreation areas, menu, kitchen, and sanitary facilities, and would be jointly overseen by the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Education and the State Secondary Education Board.

However, Akwa Ibom people, alarmed by the incident and the calibre of persons that would oversee the investigation, urged the governor to launch further investigation into the activities and composition of the education board in the state, alleging their complicity.

They noted that the incident at the Presbyterian Science School was a recurring factor in all the public boarding schools across the state, urging Governor Eno to wield his big stick on anyone found culpable.

Emem Nkereuwem, a Public Affairs Analyst in the state wondered why the Commissioner for Education could not ab initio institute routine visits to public schools, boarding schools, inclusive, as part of her job but had to wait until the disturbing video went viral before visiting the school.

“It’s sad that a commissioner had to be stampeded before visiting a public school and was not aware that schools were in dire straits. The video is not impressive.

“Politics should be set aside and responsibilities should be given to those who want to give selfless service and are competent to handle it.

“Look at what is happening at the education board, it has been in the news for a long time,” she said.

Another resident, who identified himself as John, regretted that despite repeated complaints to the education ministry about the poor facilities in public schools across the state, it had failed to look into it until the damaging video of the Presbyterian School came up.

“Must the Commissioner for Education wait for the viral video before acting despite repeated complaints?

“It’s high time people were appointed based on competence and not on political connections,” John noted.

Professor Des Wilson, of the University of Uyo said, “Why the investigation is going on, we have to look at the state secondary education board, look at the procedures for appointment of principals of schools and also there are cases where some teachers who already have jobs would sublet to another person and will be paying N20,000 or N30,000 and nobody is talking about it.”

Etim Etim, a senior journalist and analyst in the state, revealed that the main source of the problem in the boarding schools according to some teachers he interacted with was that, “would-be principals are made to pay huge amount of money as inducements to the chairman and members of the State Secondary Education Board before they are given the job.

“Even after they’ve gotten the job, they continue to pay money regularly to the Board members as a contribution.”

He continued, “I understand that each candidate for principal position could pay as high as between N1.3 million and N1.5 million before they secure the job.

“Is the Commissioner for Education not aware of this? And is the Permanent Secretary of the State Schools Board, who is now to oversee the investigation, not aware of this too?

“To recoup these payments, the principals would then dip hand into some money paid by parents and, sometimes, introduce unauthorized levies in the school.

“I was told that each student pays N60, 000 as a boarding fee. If this is correct, it is quite insufficient.

“How much does the principal take and how much is left to feed the student? That means each student would be fed with less than N700 per day or N200 per meal. That’s like a prisoner’s ration in Nigeria’s prisons, What can you buy with that in the market?”

There’s an urgent need for the governor to take a second look at the character, caliber and capabilities of some of the officials working for the state government, and consider rejiging the system.”

Another journalist, Etorobong Inyang, who decried the rot in the educational system, wondered why the government right from the previous administration could not implement the recommendations from the Education Summit held years back to resuscitate the ailing school system of the state.

Inyang, who noted that the educational system in the state was threatened, said the secondary school in his community, “Community Secondary School Onor, in Ibiono was nothing to write home about in terms of building, infrastructure, and learning environment.

He said, “former governor Udom Emmanuel held an education summit and spent so much money, what were the recommendations?

“What did he do to salvage the situation? All he could do was to start fencing schools on the road sides alone, that was just like a painted sepulchre.

“Why not pick schools, develop them, furnish them with materials, provide infrastructure, let’s have pilot schemes.”

Inyang said boarding fees are paid based on the prevailing food prices and wondered why the students would not be fed with decent meals.

He urged the relevant authorities to intensify efforts in monitoring.

However, investigations showed that the board members do go for monitoring from time to time. An insider in one of the public schools, who pleaded anonymity, narrated, “In monitoring, the principal will announce that some people from the board are coming, we will be asked to contribute money and give to the monitors.

“When they come, they will go straight to the principal’s office where they will be given entertainment and when they will be going, they will receive an envelope without inspecting anything.” He wondered how the same board members would carry out an unbiased investigation