By Ben Adoga, Abuja
Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike has approved the rehabilitation of 400 schools in the nation’s capital.
This is as he approved the sum of N17.6 billion for the project which has been split into two phases, which must be completed within 100 days.
Mandate Secretary for Education, Dr. Danlami Hayyo made this known while addressing members of the press on Tuesday in Abuja.
Hayyo said Wike has directed that the old system of school maintenance be changed and replaced with a more pragmatic one.
He said the Minister came up with the adoption of the whole school approach as against taking two or three to four blocks for renovation.
“The whole school approach is the situation whereby all the facilities, all blocks, toilets, boarding hostels, dining and everything in the school will be renovated.”
Hayyo said: “ So on that, he ( Wike) also approved spending N13.1 billion on the first batch of the whole school approach, which covers 18 schools like LEA Primary School, Bagusa.
“The minister has approved to turn these schools into new and modern schools. He also ordered the provision of toilets, new classrooms, staff rooms and even water facility, which is the provision of boreholes and overhead tanks.”
Other beneficiary schools are: Primary and Junior Secondary School, Waru in AMAC; Karshi Model SSchool LEA Primary School, Apo Resettlement; Junior Secondary School, Life Camp; School for the Deaf, Kuje; Junior Secondary School, Kwali; LEA Primary School, Utako; Abaji Model Primary School and Junior Secondary School, Maitama, among others and some parts of FCT College of Education Library will be renovated.
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These 18 schools will be renovated at the cost of 13.1 billion naira, under the first batch of the whole school approach.
“In the second batch of the whole school approach, we are going to completely renovate some schools. They are; Government Science Technical College, Kwali; Government Science Technical College, Maitama and Government Secondary School, Wuse 2.
“These schools, about N4.5 billion will be spent on changing the structures of these schools into modern facilities,” Hayyo said.
On the NUT strike issue, he said; “There are so many issues concerning the outstanding payment of FCT primary school teachers. The area councils owed 25 months minimum wage backlog, which is yet to be cleared.
“That is one of the big issues that the NUT are battling with serious consultations. A lot of commitments were made before we came but with this present administration, the Minister has addressed and resolved the issue.”
