THE INJUSTICE IN ANAMBRA’S RETURN OF SCHOOLS  

Mr. Peter Obi’s return of schools to their rightful and original owners in 2011 was a commendable act that resonated with the people and drew accolades to him. However, he erred in that handover exercise by bypassing private school proprietors, who were victims of the seizure of schools by Ukpabi Asika in 1970.

 But nothing can obviate the fact that Mr. Peter Obi’s civilian administration in Anambra State played a significant role in revamping Anambra State’s dysfunctional educational system. Being aware that education plays a big role in the development of a country, he carried out reforms in the state’s educational sector.

Among the people, who established schools in the eastern region (part of which is today’s Anambra State) were Chief M.C Awgu, the founder of New Bethel College, Onitsha and Basden College, Isulo; Chief Belonwu, founder and proprietor of Holy Cross College, Umuawulu; Sir P. E Chukwurah, founder of Our Lady’s High School, Onitsha; and countless others.

 But unexpectedly, by twist of fate, the proprietors of private schools in what is today’s Anambra State lost the ownership of their schools in 1970. The government of Ukpabi Asika took possession of privately-owned schools and the mission ones in the east. But against the background that the Nigeria- Biafra civil war had just ended, and given the fact that it would be foolhardiness to take on government on the matter, the private schools’ proprietors kept their cool and let sleeping dogs lie.

But when Mr. Peter obi was the governor of Anambra State, and ordered the return of seized schools to their original owners, Anambra school system had suffered colossal damage. The schools were no longer centres of academic excellence. And most of the schools were beset with moral crisis what with teachers and parents aiding and abetting examination malpractice among the students during such examinations as SSCE and NECO. And the quality of education, which students in those schools received, was abysmally poor.

Then, as part of his efforts and plan to reposition schools in Anambra State, and redress the wrong, which was done in 1970 by the Ukpabi Asika led-government, Mr. Peter Obi, who was the Anambra State governor in 2011, returned 1040 schools to their rightful owners, the churches. It was a commendable and judicious deed as mission schools are not known to be lax regarding inculcating good morals into students and offering quality education to them.

The schools, which were returned to the Anglican and Catholic churches, were given the princely sum of N6 billion by Mr. Peter Obi for their maintenance. And Mr Willie Obiano, who succeeded Mr. Peter Obi as the governor of Anambra State, doled out N4 billion to the schools, which were returned to the churches. And the current governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, had given financial largesse to those schools to ensure that their culture of academic excellence and tempo of growth are sustained.

But there is a lacuna in this matter of Anambra State government’s return of seized schools to their original owners in 2011.  Almost all the private schools founded by Anambra natives, which were appropriated by the East Central state government in 1970, are still in the possession of the Anambra State government. And, to make matters worse, compensations were not paid to those private schools’ proprietors.

Is the Anambra State government’s continued ownership of those schools not a clear case of daylight theft? Is it not an inhumane, unjustifiable, unconscionable, and anti-democratic act? As what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, the Anambra State government should handle the lingering matter of seized private schools in the same way it handled the matter of seized mission schools.

The principle of fairness or equity demands that compensations should be paid to those whose schools were unjustifiably taken by the government.