Abia Govt Announces Resumption Date for Primary, Secondary Schools

Abia Government had announced that primary and secondary schools in the state are to resume on September 28 to complete the third term of the 2019/2020 academic session.
The Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, made this known in a statement he issued in Umuahia on the outcome of the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting.
Okiyi-Kalu stated that, the schools were expected to conduct a one-week revision classes to prepare the pupils and students for the promotion examination.
According to him, the state government directed that the examination should hold from October 5 to October 16.
He further stated that the examination would be used to assess the children, in addition to their first and second term work as well as the radio/television classroom programme, adding that teachers would be given one week to prepare the third term results, while the first term of 2020/21 session would commence on October 26 and end on December 23.
Okiyi-Kalu also stated that the Ministry of Education would publish other guidelines, including the COVID-19 protocols and approved fees to be charged by private schools.
He stated that the resumption dates for tertiary institutions would be announced by the schools’ authorities based on the time-table and protocols submitted to the state government.
The commissioner further stated that, the EXCO directed the state Internal Revenue Agency and other relevant agencies to ensure they met government’s internally generated revenue target for 2020 and that the EXCO also approved the establishment of road maintenance committees in the 17 local government councils to achieve the “zero pothole” policy of the state government.
Okiyi-Kalu further stated that the EXCO approved the constitution of a committee to oversee the transition of Abia State Road Maintenance Agency to a limited liability company.
He stated that the measure would enable the agency to bid for road maintenance and construction jobs and also become more efficient and independent of government funding.
He added that approval had been given to a new construction company for the Ohafia Golf Course project with a mandate to complete its first phase on December 24 and that the Ministry of Works had been directed to prioritise the rehabilitation of Ngwa-Emelogu-Opobo-Azumini Road in Aba, with emphasis on Good Morning Market Bridge.
Okiyi-Kalu stated That the EXCO also approved the contract for the construction of Omuma Road, off Ama Ogbonna, Aba, with Rigid Pavement (Cement) Technology (RPT); the reconstruction of Awoja-Akoli-Ngodo-Imennyi Road, reconstruction of Akalanna Street, off Okigwe Road, Aba, reconstruction/rehabilitation of Ofeme Empire Road, rehabilitation of Mbawsi Road (from King Jerry Mortuary to Railway Crossing).
Others are the reconstruction of Milverton Avenue-Chisco Lane-Ojike Lane, Aba, with drains, asphalt overlay of Okigwe Road, Aba and construction of Ahunnanya Street in Obingwa with RPT.
The EXCO also approved  the procurement of mobile laboratory and medical theater to cover all local government areas as part of the fight against COVID-19 and, approval was given for the procurement of COVID-19 intervention materials for Abia State University Teaching Hospital and College of Health Sciences and Management, Aba adding that approval was given for partial commencement of non-contact sports in the state.
EXCO charged the state Independent Electoral Commission to ensure the upcoming local council poll would be free, fair and credible.