By Egbe Attah
The Parent-Teacher Association, PTA, Benue State Chapter, has commended the Benue State Governor, Rev Father Hyacinth Alia, for declaring the 2023/ 2024 Senior Secondary School Examinations free of charge for students in all government approved secondary schools in the state.
Speaking with The Voice recently in Otukpo, Benue State, on behalf the association, the chairman, Comrade Godwin Agbo, said the move was novel as Benue students had never enjoyed such gesture in the past.
“The move by Governor Alia-led government to use part of the money given to the state as palliative to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal to register Benue school children for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) for the 2023/2024 graduating year is most commendable.
“By this gesture, the governor has written his name in gold for being the first governor in Benue state to do so.
This will reduce the harrowing experience and burden parents face in the course of educating their children.
“We equally thank the governor for his plan to provide intensive computer and ICT training for 2000 youth of the state to enable them acquire jobs within and outside the state as well as provide shuttle buses in the three major towns of Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo to ease movement within the towns among other palliatives.
“All these moves will not only give relief to parents but also help them save money to fund their wards’ education,” the PTA chairman said.
“Father Alia has shown total commitment to the welfare and education of the Benue child and we parents have no choice than to continue to partner with him to make the business of teaching and learning in the state a huge success,” the veteran unionist assured.
Comrade Agbo, however, reminded the government of the need for the establishment of private school management board to be charged with the management of private schools in the state.
According to him, the board would not only create employment but also checkmate the proliferation of illegal and mushroom schools in the state.
The PTA chairman decried a situation in which he said WAEC is surcharging schools as punishment for alleged involvement of their students in examination malpractices instead of the culprits.
He maintained that the practice is totally wrong and called on the state government to investigate the matter.
