Calabar 14:11:19: In the dim past, revolutionaries achieved enduring legacies by shooting their way to stardom. The blood of both sinners and those sinned against watered paradigm shifts in the societies of those eras.
In our contemporary world, bloody revolutions have given way to intellectualism and mind games; and fire-spitting revolutionaries reincarnated in high flyers and achievers, though without swords and guns of their past existence.
Anyone encountering Cross River state governor, Professor Ben Ayade for the first time will be gravely misled by his unassuming; and will be greatly enamored of his oratory prowess. However, beneath these two are an iron-cast will to unleash enduring legacy of economic, social and infrastructural development in the state.
Ayade is a reincarnated revolutionary. He comes not with a toga of fumes and furry but as an embodiment of change. In his three and half years as governor, Professor Ayade has brought cooling to the desperate flame of poverty and deprivation that have been the lot of Cross River; bringing good governance to bear on all sectors of the economy.
He has, for example, made learning fun for Cross River Children. The learning environment is now conducive, enthralling; so much that many parents are now, more than ever before, eager to enroll their wards in public schools. The result of this: Cross River sometimes ago emerged one of the states with the most increased child school enrolment.
All these were made possible because, an academic himself, Professor Ayade recognizes that education is the bedrock of modern society and has in less than three years carried out a total rehabilitation of at least 230 schools from the 322 schools for which rehabilitation contracts have been awarded.
Additionally, the administration has since inception distributed 85,000 text books and 67,000 plastic chairs to various schools in the state. As a break from the dark past, ancient black boards are now history in Cross River state schools as the Ayade administration has introduced magnetic teaching boards to some schools in the state.
To ensure that Cross River children join the digital age, schools in the state are now being equipped with computers and Solar panels.
In the Obudu axis of the state, the administration is unleashing the best form of modern education as the construction of world- class British-Canadian school is ongoing. And to ensure qualitative education for Cross River children, the government has taken over 36 community schools across the state. Currently, the schools are being given major facelift. This is just as Professor Ayade approved the award of scholarships to 1,000 students of Cross River origin at N100,000 per person. The Governor has equally given approval for the provision of uniforms to primary school pupils free of charge.
The best way to get the best out of teachers is to subject them to periodic training and retraining or what is known in the education parlance as “training the trainers”. Provision of sound teaching aide, good teaching environment and adequate welfare for teachers are also key.
Ayade, a thorough breed academic is aware of this. And so, since assuming office, he has striven to ensure that teachers in the state are ranked among the best. This hugely explains why he has undertaken the construction of Teachers Continuous Training Institute at Akpet Central, Biase and given training and retraining of teachers and non teaching staff top priority.
Ayade’s magical and revolutionary strides in the education sector have yielded quantum result to the cheers and applause of stakeholders: Cross River is now number two in the National Examination Council, NECO, a manifest lift from its number 27 position before the coming of the performing governor!
Ita is S.A, Media and Chief Press Secretary to the CRS governor.
*The views expressed are the author’s.
