8th June, 2024
By Alex Enebeli
The Director-General of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), Dr Tivlumun Ahure, has expressed his excitement over the Smart Green Schools, introduced by Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State describing them as the first of their kinds in Africa.
Ahure, who is the IHRC, International Relief Fund in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations, remarked when he led 43 diplomats to visit pilot Smart Green School in Owo, Enugu East Council Area on Friday.
Addressing newsmen, the director-general who recalled that over time, he had read about the school, said the visit was more of practical for the team coming to see things themselves and look at the facilities available.
He said: “Going around the school, I saw a marvelous concept, a true educational revolution, first of its kind in Africa.
“It is my job to see that this type of school is replicated in other places in Africa. I will take the trumpet from Enugu and blow it around Nigeria and other African countries.
“Everyone should be proud of what is happening in education sector in Enugu,” he said.
Ahure, also the President of the ongoing NgEducators International Model United Nations (NGIMUN), Conference, in Enugu, disclosed that the concept of out of school children, drop outs and children not having quality education were infringement on the rights of children.
According to him, they need to do something about it beyond just advocacy but engaging those in leadership to understand that there is a man doing a model school with increased budget for education.
Speaking, Dr Ebenezer Leo, Head of Education at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Governors Forum, while extolling Mbah for the excellent job, said he would let other governors know about it and replicate in their various states.
“I will tell other governors that this is what we want in Nigeria, an access to quality education.
“This year we made analysis of the 35 governors in respect to their budget for education and it has been impressive as the advocacy is that every state should have 10 to 15 per cent of their budget to education and Enugu has surpassed it with 33 per cent.
“With the conference we are having in October, Enugu State will be showcasing the smart schools, so that other states will key into it and replicate it in their states,” Leo said.
Responding, the Enugu State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, explained that the 43 diplomats from around the world came to Enugu Smart School in Owo to see things for themselves.
He said they could not believe that something like that was happening in Africa and promised they would take the gesture to their countries and insist that their leaders should give their people something similar.
“They are saying they are going to produce a document, a United Nations Platform of Action that will carry their signatures as well as sponsoring them in every African countries and global until, it becomes a UN declaration.
“What they are telling us after they saw pilot Smart Green School is that Mbah has developed a model, built and equipped it with teachers delivering experiential learning in a way they taught it was not possible.
“This is the type of education that Africa needs and also an African solution to their challenge, a homegrown innovation and development,” he stressed. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
