FCTA to renovate 100 schools in 100 days- Adesola

By Lateef Taiwo

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Mr. Olusade Adesola has disclosed that the Administration is currently implementing the 100 by 100 school renovation programme which has to do with upgrading of 100 within the space of 100 days.

He made this disclosure on Monday while receiving award of commendation from the leadership of All- African Students Union (AASU) in Abuja.

Adesola explained that the objective of the project is to intervene directly in providing infrastructure and facility for students in FCT schools, in order to establish more conducive environment that will promote learning.

The Permanent Secretary said the outcome of the project will ensure that the FCT will be able to produce more brilliant students coming out of the system.

He explained that immediately after the release of contract, its execution will take only 100 days, which pushes the administration to pick out very credible contractors, who have the capacity, identify the schools, measure the works and other activity required.

He however, disclosed that unfortunately, the programme wasn’t carried out in the previous administration, but the project is still being implemented, as government is a continuum.

According to him: “For us in FCT, the commitment to the growth and development of the educational sector is a priority. And we are currently implementing the 100 by 100 programme which entails the renovation and upgrading of 100 schools in 100 days.

“We are also addressing the skills requirements and the welfare need of our staff. Last year, over 80 teachers were promoted from Deputy Directors to Principal Directors. This is to ensure that these teachers or employees are well motivated after the large mount of years they served by attaining the peak of their careers, so that they can continue to deliver teaching services.

“We also pay attention to the challenge of security which is very difficult to sustain because we spend substantial amount on the effort to provide it. In our schools particularly, those are the fringes and we use both the conventional and non conventional methods”.

He adds: “Our challenge however, is the influx of the students trooping into the FCT. Majority of students in the FCT are from the neighboring states around the city because of inadequacies of government in providing standard facilities and this pushes them to trekking into the nation’s capital especially from Nasarawa to Abuja, Kogi to Abuja or even Niger to Abuja. So in all those fringes, you see the schools are very fat in terms of human population, but because it is still one Nigeria, we believe that they are entitled to be educated and wil continue to provide them in that aspect.

Ealier in his remarks, the AASU President and leader of the delegation, Osisiogu Osikenyi, commended the FCTA for committing itself to improving better access to education at all levels in the Territory.

Osisiogu, who expressed worries about campus insecurity, said the Union is very happy that “you have not allowed any campus in FCT to be on the ugly list of the campuses that have been attacked by hoodlums, we want you to intensify on that.

“Continue to be liaising with security agencies, so as to make sure that campuses, especially those which are located at the borderlines of the FCT.”