EBONYI GOVERNMENT PLANS TO RETURN 150,000 OUT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN TO CLASSROOM; SUGGESTS TUNNEL MINING TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION.

Ebonyi State Government says efforts are on to ensure that there is no out of school children in the state in the next six months.

Governor David Umahi stated this at a media chat organised as part of activities lined up for his inauguration for second term in office.

Governor Umahi explained that Ebonyi State had over 150,000 (one hundred and fifty thousand) out of school children but emphasised that he would put in place schools at International market for those engaged in hawking while others would be mopped up for direct admission into schools.

“We are in partnership with the Federal Government and World Bank and we were told we have fifty one thousand out of school children but we think it should be about one hundred and fifty thousand and what we tend to do is to deploy two way mechanism.

“Those who must be doing buying and selling, we have provided school within the International market so that while they do their business they will also be undergoing training but those who are just out of school may be because of poverty or lack of knowledge on the importance of school.

“We are setting up a programme with World Bank so that in the next six months there would be no body in Ebonyi State that is of school age that would be out of school,” Umahi assured the people.

Governor Umahi emphasised that the state was not doing well in solid mineral development and advocated the adoption of tunnel mining to reduce environmental degradation.

“My heart beats because of degradation of our environment as a result of activities of the miners.

“I have always insisted that we deploy modern equipment in mining but everyday over a hundred of trucks laden with minerals are smuggled out of Ebonyi state and this is not right,” the Governor lamented.

The Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State, Senator Emmanuel Onwe, said the media chat was organised to enable the Governor to give account of his stewardship and give an insight into his plans in the next four years.

AMECHI ODO

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