By Chesa Chesa
Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has appointed a 20-member team to serve in the Anambra State Education Advisory Council, with a mandate to overhaul the State’s educational sector.
Other members include Chief Osita Chidoka, former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission and ex-Minister of Aviation; as well as Patrick Okigbo III, a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, who leads a public policy consulting firm focused on development and governance challenges in Nigeria.
There are also Professors Virgy Onyene and Grace Nzelibe, both of who have spent decades in academia and knowledgeable about an education system required to provide the skills to transform Anambra into “a livable and prosperous smart megacity,” in line with Soludo’s campaign manifesto.
Governor Soludo chairs the Council while the Secretary is the State Commissioner for Education, according to a press release signed by Christian Aburime, Press Secretary to the Governor, who announced that the appointments are with immediate effect.
Soludo had while campaigning to be Governor pledged to provide quality and equitable education for all, develop teachers’ competence, and restore teaching as a profession of pride in the State.
The appointment of the Anambra State Education Advisory Council which is the first step towards achieving these objectives, comprises of a mix of technocrats, academics, and consultants.
This assemblage across gender and age gaps, political leaning, ideologies, and backgrounds further portrays Prof. Soludo’s commitment to fixing the challenges of the Anambra State beyond party lines.
Same was noticed with the Chidi Odinkalu-led Truth, Justice, and Peace Committee, which included non-indigenes of Anambra State.
The Council is expected to focus on education models that promote skills-based, entrepreneurship-centred curriculum and lifelong learning that will provide people with the knowledge and skills to develop their full potential and become successful members of society.
While creating creating jobs, increasing wealth, and driving economic growth, the model is further expected to provide technical and vocational education, and focus on the Anambra state-specific challenge of low male school enrollment vis-à-vis females.
Hopefully, the Council can leverage the goodwill still accruing to the seven month-old Soludo administration to drive through any needed reforms to provide sustainable models that can improve education in the State and even serve as a model for other States.
The rest of the Council’s membership are Prof S.O.E Ogbogu, Dr. (Mrs) Angela M.A Obodozie, Rev. Sr. (Prof) Mary Theresa Opara, Engr. Paul Enidom, Prof. Walter Chukwuma Nwafia, Dr Ngozi Agbasimalo, Mrs Obianuju Chinelo Kenechukwu, Prof O.S.A Obikeze, Prof. (Mrs) Virgy Onyene.
Others are the Chairperson ASUBEB, Chairperson PPSSC, ViceChancellor of Chukwuma Odumegwu University, Provost of College of Education, Nsugbe; and Rector of Anambra State Polytechnic, Mgbakwu.
