PRESS RELEASE.

I read with some measure of bemusement in a news daily and on some online media that the headmistress of a primary school which the Wife of the Governor visited sometime last week was allegedly posted out for asking that teachers salaries be paid.

The Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor Mr. Enyinnaya Apollos has come out with a statement that the report carried by that daily was unconfirmed and that Government is investigating to find out the veracity of the claims made by the newspaper.

While Mr. Apollos’ response is sufficient, it would be adequate as spokesperson for the wife of the governor for me to go on record to give her perspective on the issue. I wish to state clearly and unequivocally that the wife of the Governor is not aware of any posting or otherwise as reported by the paper.

Anyone who is familiar with civil service procedures and the workings of government can clearly understand that the wife of the Governor is not privy to such posting where and if they occur or not. The service is structured with laid down rules guiding its operations at all levels and wives of governors are not briefed nor their opinion sort in whatever form before such postings are made.

It is uncharitable for any well meaning citizen, corporate or individual, to attempt to drag the name of the wife of the governor into a scenario which at this stage only exists as a figment of the imagination of the newspaper reporter and his sponsors who of course are of the ilk of detractors who would never see any good coming from this administration but would flail at every good programme in a futile effort to diminish the immutable profile of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as one of the best performing governors in the country.

This harebrained effort by the opposition is coming only a few days to the scheduled expansion of one of the biggest social safety net programmes of Abia State, that is the free school meal programme. Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu is the initiator and major promoter of the Abia State Free School Meal Initiative, a public/ private sector driven programme which commenced almost a year ago. The wife of the governor has exerted so much personal goodwill in engaging philanthropists, corporate organizations and government to pool resources together to provide one meal a day to primary school pupils in a phased approach. This pioneering effort by Mrs. Ikpeazu has attracted the interest of the Federal Government and it’s newly introduced Home-Grown School Feeding programme with Abia being amongst the first three states in the country to benefit from the Federal Government intervention. Over 1,500 direct jobs of food vendors have been created for Abians through this collaboration while thousands more including local farmers and traders will benefit from the chain of activities. As I speak right now, the food vendors have been engaged in all the LGAS and schools. Today they began a two-day training in food handling and security in all the LGA’s. The training will end tomorrow with Ummunneochi LGA.

I have not even mentioned the economic relief the programme will offer parents whose kids will enjoy a free meal a day as well as the nutritional and dietary benefits to School children in Abia State. As matter of fact, government is looking at an expected spike in school enrollment as well as a peak in academic performance from school children who are benefitting from the feeding programme.

We call on Abians to see the report from the news paper as diversionary and a shamefaced attempt by the dimwitted opposition to diminish the successes of the free school meal progrmme. Rather than encourage Mrs. Ikpeazu and the collaborators, the visionless opposition, true to type, have set about trying to pool wool over the faces of discerning Abians.

Abians should rise collectively to resist all attempts being made to discredit this programme which is one of the greatest legacies we can bequeath to our children who are the leaders of tomorrow.

Eze Ajuzie,
Chief Press Secretary to the Wife of the Governor.