Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Barely seven days after the Edo State Government agreed to hand over some schools formerly owned by the Catholic Mission in Edo North to the Church to run, the church has further listed 36 primary and secondary schools in Edo South and Central Senatorial Districts for takeover.
The handover of more schools by the government followed Governor Monday Okpebholo’s meeting with Bishop Gabriel Dunia of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, on Monday.
The additional schools that were formerly under the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City, now to be returned are Catholic Modern School, Oghada (now Oghada Grammar School); St. Kizito College, Eguaholor (now Eguaholor Grammar School); Christ the King College, Urhonigbe; St. Thomas Secondary School, Benin City (now Ogbe Secondary School); St. Mary Catholic School, Odiguetue (now Ehi Primary School) and St. Maria Goretti Girls’ Grammar School, Benin City.
Others are St. Theresa Catholic School, Okhuokhuo; St. Gregory Primary, Iguediaken (now Iguedaiken Primary School); St. Joseph Primary School, Benin City (now Uwa Primary School); Uvbi Primary School, Benin City; Fr. Lamely School, Benin City (now Adesuwa/Emotan Primary School); Igbogor Primary School, Igbogor; Holy Cross Primary School, Benin City (now Oguola Primary School); St. Paul Primary School, Benin City (now Ogbe Primary School); St. Gabriel Primary School, Oza (Odionza Primary School, Oza); St. Thomas Catholic School, Omolua-Igbanke (now Enogie Primary School); Roman Catholic Mission Primary School, Iyowa (now Ezuwara Primary School) and St. Edward Catholic School, Onuiyi-Igbanke (now Onuiyi Primary School)
Additionally, institutions from the Catholic Diocese of Uromi are also included in this policy shift. They are St. John Bosco College, Ubiaja; Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Ubiaja; Our Lady of Lourdes Grammar School, Idigun-Uromi; Annunciation Catholic College, Irrua; St. Dominic Secondary School, Iruekpen (now Iruekpen Mixed Secondary School); St. Benedict Boys’ High School, Igueben (now Eguare Secondary School); St. Benedict Primary School, Ubiaja (now Orhuen Primary School); St. Anthony Primary School, Uromi (now Okpujie Primary School); St. Francis Catholic Primary School, Ohordua (now Eguare Primary School) and St. Gregory Primary School, Ekpoma (now Dova Primary School).
Governor Okpebholo has assured his commitment to forming a committee to precisely identify all schools for handover. He also clarified that any affected schools currently undergoing renovation by the state government will remain under its supervision until completion. In a statement by Fred Itua, Press Secretary to Governor Okpebholo, the government said the policy shift, decades after the forceful takeover of Catholic schools by the civil government in the 1970s, aims to address long-standing grievances.
Bishop Dunia had emphasised the Catholic mission’s view of the educational institutions as crucial not only for intellectual development, but also for cultivating “ideal moral character, which constitute the bedrock of good society.”
Other prominent institutions across the state expected to be affected by this policy, as earlier announced, include several schools from the Catholic Diocese of Auchi: Our Lady of Fatima College, Auchi; St. Angela Grammar School, Uzairue; St. John Grammar School, Fugar…
St. Peter Grammar School, Agenebode; St. James Grammar School, Afuze; St. Joseph College, Otuo; St. Mary Grammar School, Eme-Ora and St. Aloysius Gonzaga Grammar School, Ososo.