South East breaking News
By Steve Unegbu
We must ensure that quality and functional education is maintained in Abia state schools ,as well as liaise with the educational stakeholders for effective management and achieving stable and quality education.
This was disclosed by the Newly elected president of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of secondary school ( ANCOPSS ) , Sir Mathew Ikechukwu Uzuegbu ,while interacting with Newsmen shortly after the occasion of his inauguration and Quadrennial State Congress of ANCOPSS ,with the theme ; School Leadership and government support ,a critical Panacea for educational enhancement and development ,held at Kolping Society Conference center Umuahia,Abia state .
He pointed out that the major objective of ANCOPSS is the welfare of the principals of the government schools in Abia state, saying that he is going to carry fellow noble colleagues along and we will be having regular meetings to sort out their problems.
According to him,’ I am going to set up conflict resolution committee to resolve conflicts among principals,especially between principals in Senior secondary schools and those of Junior secondary schools,this will ensure maintenance of peace and stability as well as cooperation among them ” he noted .
In her speech , the Abia state former commissioner for Special Duties,establishment and training ,as well as former ANCOPSS president, Hon.Lady Elizabeth Uhuegbu ,urged the ANCOPSS members to be proud of the teaching profession ,frowning that many people look down on teaching profession.
In their separate speeches, the stakeholders that participated at the Congress, urged the new executives ,to ensure that they carry all the members along.
The immediate past State ANCOPSS president, Chief Jinawa Nelson Chimezie, advised the new executive members to be friendly with the government of the day and be interested in the responsibility given to them to ensure they succeed .
In his speech,the Abia state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers,Elder Comrade Kizito Kalu ,urged ANCOPSS members to continue in the discharge of their duties and to form strong synergy with teachers to ensure they succeed.
He however , frowned at the salary arrears being owed teachers, revealing that senior secondary school teachers are being owed about 9 months, while Junior secondary school teachers have been paid up to March, noting that teachers have been doing marvelously well and need to be rewarded.
In the same vein ,the Adviser to the Abia speaker ,Mr Ojike Kalu Ojike in his contribution, urged the ANCOPSS new leadership to go closer to government and work hand in hand with them,while one of the participants ,the principal of Mbom secondary school , Mrs Obasi Gladys Otta expressed happy for being alive to participate in 2021 Congress, adding that as an elected Ex -officer ,she will work very hard to ensure that they succeed.
Earlier in his speech ,the Executive Secretary Secondary Education Management Board , Mr Osuagwu Christopher ,said SEMB will do every thing possible to protect the interest of ANCOPSS members,pointing out that SEMB and ASUBEB have established very strong synergy to enhance peace for students to learn.
He charged principals from senior secondary schools and Junior secondary schools to work together, saying government will not tolerate a situation where principals from senior secondary schools are quarreling with those in Junior secondary schools.
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He said the Governor of Abia state ,Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has done a lot in the area of education, especially during the covid-19 ,while revealing that the era of appointment of principals anyhow has gone ,that hence forth ,appointment of principals will be based on seniority and qualification, urging principals not to allow any one to extort money from them,even as he disclosed government ‘s readiness to establish modern Senior and Junior secondary schools in Abia.