Governor Monday Okpebholo fund

By Jethro Ibileke 

The Edo Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has approved the return of schools to missionary organisations in the State.

This decision followed a meeting between the Governor and the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Gabriel G. Dunia, on Monday in Government House, Benin City.

The move comes decades after the civil government took over Catholic primary and secondary schools in the 1970s.

Okpebholo clarified that a committee would soon be set up by the government to identify the specific schools that will be handed over.

He added that any of the affected schools currently undergoing renovation by the State Government would remain under its supervision until their completion.

A statement on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, noted that among the schools expected to be affected by this policy include Our Lady of Fatima College, Auchi; St. Angela’s Grammar School, Uzairue; St. John Grammar School, Fugar; St. Peter’s Grammar School, Agenebode; St. James’s Grammar School, Afuze; St. Joseph College, Otuo; St. Mary Grammar School, Eme-Ora; and St. Aloysius Gonzaga Grammar School, Ososo.

In his remark, Bishop Dunia noted that despite persistent appeals to previous administrations, the state government had not positively responded to the Church’s requests for the return of their institutions until now.

He underscored the strategic importance of these educational institutions to the Catholic mission, emphasising their role not only in the intellectual formation of children but also in fostering “ideal moral character, which constitutes the bedrock of a good society.”

This approval marks a significant step towards addressing long-standing grievances and potentially enhancing educational standards through faith-based initiatives in Edo State.