[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ome leaders are born, some achieve leadership, some have leadership thrust upon them, while only very few have all embedded in them.Dr Stephen Odey, The Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) ,the trail-blazing administrative mogul par excellence from Cross- River State, is one of the few ood men. He is an embodiment of cerebral articulation, the essence of unparalleled philanthropy, the epitome of intellectual and breathtaking simplicity. The personification of undiluted humanness, the perfect example of leadership symbolism, the paragon of idealism, the soul of humanity, the heart of warrior, the perfect gentleman.The Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey and his proactive board members have received accolades from Publishers, media houses ,Chiefs, Elders, Teachers, Pupils and Community dwellers in Cross -River for providing a conducive environment for teaching and learning through the provision of functional Classrooms, Sitting facilities, amongst others.Dr Stephen Odey and his board members have not only improved the learning condition of pupils, but has also bridged the gap between public and private schools.
The Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey has been honoured with the “Diligent Service to Humanity” award by members of the Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network (GNPN), Southern Council recently in recognition of Dr Odey’s outstanding contributions towards the socio-economic development of Nigeria, through his relentless efforts towards ensuring educational transformation in the State and Nigeria at large and for also showing Integrity in professionalism in the discharge of his duties.
According to the National President GNPN “a man without integrity is like soup without salt, so many people are given this money or allocation and they share it among themselves, but that is not found in Cross – River state SUBEB, As far as primary education is concerned in this state, the members of the
Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network (GNPN), want to say that Dr Stephen Odey and his proactive board members have done marvellously well. We have been monitoring the activities of this board and other SUBEBs across the Country, we have picked Cross River SUBEB as the best in the entire country. The GNPN Commended Governor Ben Ayade for his commitment to the education sector, Dr Awana said his laudable achievements in the education sector have earned him GNPN “Best Governor of 2017 ” through our online platform,www.grassrootspublishers.com and our valuable readers voted Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade as the best governor for the year 2017. He emerged the best in the areas of education and water supply. These are the two reasons why we intend to honour the governor as the best; for giving the rural people water and education. Everybody know that water is life and education is power, if you give a child water and education I think he will excel. The GNPN had a one-on-one chat with the Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey in his office at Calabar, Cross-River state capital.
Excerpts:
Sir, schools in Cross – River were in a deplorable state until the appointment of your board two years ago, how were you able to achieve this transformation?
Before me and my proactive board members assumes office two years ago , the state of Public schools was in a sorry state when we came on board and visited some schools,we discovered that some of our pupils were sitting on the floor,but very importantly we discovered that some of the schools that were dilapidated, was as a result of some unaccessed matching grant from 2012-2015, the governor made money available and we were able to access that, which has led to numerous intervention, new construction and rehabilitation of schools going on across the state. So far so good, for 2 years now we have awarded up to 325 projects, both construction and rehabilitation and out of that number 167 have been completed and handed over, and 158 currently on-going, and I think before the first quarter of next year more would have been completed,We were able to secure over 10,000 plastic tables and chairs, I think apart from some few cases, we have addressed that issue. We have introduced alot of things,There have been a lot of infrastructural development going on in schools across the state, if you visit some of our schools where children were sitting on the floor, today, they are comfortably seated. We have also been able to embark on the most celebrated personnel audit in the state, where we have uncovered over a thousand ghost workers, where the salary wage bill used to be about one billion naira, but after our personnel audit, our salary wage bill is about Eight hundred million naira. So, we are saving over one hundred million naira for the state monthly.I will continue to do my best and I assure you that by the time we are done with the public schools in our state, you would not want even your child to attend private school. You will agree with me that the dichotomy we normally hear between the public school and the private is nearly absent in Cross – River today.
Sir,you said your have commissioned a lot of projects and some on going , what is the secret behind this success?
The magic is our amiable governor Prof. Ben Ayade Led administration ,all of these laudable achievements would not have been possible without the support of Governor Ben Ayade whose passion for the Basic Education sub-sector is unpararelled. Some of the achievements recorded by the Prof. Ben Ayade-led administration in the Basic Education Sub-sector, one of the issues that confronted us when I and my management staff assumed office was the caliber of our teachers, SUBEB has been working tirelessly to repositioning the Basic education sector as His Excellency, Senator Prof. Benedict Ayade is poised in making sure that the teachers welfare and indeed the welfare of the entire civil servants in general is a top priority of government, first of it kind since the history of the state , SUBEB under the Administration of Governor Ayade has been transparent and prudent in all their activities, no longer business as usual which has attracted frivolous petitions and the SUBEB under his leadership has always defended and is always vindicated as SUBEB remains committed in the promotion of best practices.. We carried out the most controversial personnel audit.
“Controversial in the sense that, a lot of eyebrows were raised from stakeholders who didn’t understand where we were going to, we stood our grounds that something was wrong and we wanted to identify problems confronting our basic education, but at the end of the day when they realised that we had a mission to accomplish, even the House of Assembly quickly passed a resolution mandating us to go ahead with the audit. That exercise was concluded and we discovered a lot of ghost workers, over 1000, and we discovered lots of teachers without the requisite qualifications, those with fake certificates etc.”
I want to extend my gratitude to Governor Ben Ayade, who I described as a man with great passion for the basic education sector. “My appointment to this board today as the Executive Chairman was made possible by the governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, I appreciate him for giving me the opportunity to demonstrate my skills and potentials.”I came to SUBEB on a rescue mission, because basic education in the state was below expectation, but within the short period we came on board, we have become a leading State in Nigeria. Previously, the State was unable to access its matching grant for over four years but since Professor Ben Ayade came on board as governor of the state, we have been able to access our matching grant from 2012 to 2015, and even up to 2016.
Sir, can you highlight some of the recent achievements of your Board in 2017?
“So far, so good we have also been able to conclude teachers’ promotion, but we have not released it, because we do not believe in releasing promotion letters without financial benefits, so as soon as the governor is ready to give us the financial backing, we would release it. We are also building one of the biggest Junior Secondary Schools, if not in Nigeria, in Africa, the best British Canadian International School located in Obudu. It is going to be the best junior secondary school in the country.
Governor Ben Ayade is passionate and committed to ensuring that the world class secondary school is of international standards. “The Governor is very passionate about this project, we want to set an example for other states to emulate. By the time we are done Cross Riverians will be very proud of what we
have achieved,The Canadian International Model School will comprise of the following; tree-lined walk way of 3.4meters (8ft), 3-Storey building class room blocks of 18 classrooms, male and Female hostels of 40 rooms each, Administration/Assembly building, Clinic, Laboratory, Library, Dining hall, Staff
accommodation, Sporting facilities (foot ball, basketball, volleyball, hockey, table tennis and hand ball courts etc) gate house, police post, amongst others. For the first time in the State, SUBEB is also running three junior Secondary Schools, in Akpabuyo, Abi and Yala LGAs, they are boarding schools and
the quality of teaching there is different from the other secondary schools, because we are very careful in selecting our teachers and full academic activities will commence at the British Canadian International Model School in Kakum, Obudu Local Government Area, before the end of next year.
Sir, how do you feel receiving honour from Grassroots Newspaper Network Publishers today?
I thank the forum for the honour.The award will boost the board to greater productivity and total commitment. “What you have done today proves that no matter where you are and what you do people look at you, and I think we are encouraged by what you have done here today. I can assure you that we will maintain this standard and continue to do our best for the betterment of our children and for the betterment of Cross River State.
I also extend my gratitude to Governor Ayade for his support and “I thank all those who nominated me for this award, I thank them for being vigilant and for following the activities of Cross River SUBEB, but all this wouldn’t have been possible without the support and encouragement of His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, who you said is being pencilled down as the best governor for 2017. He has a soft heart for Cross River SUBEB and the education sector and that is why when we approach him on any issue he does not hesitate to give us approval. We have made so much impact in the State not because we have the power or the financial resources, but because we have the support and encouragement of our dear governor. We thank him sincerely for giving us the opportunity to serve in this capacity.”
What would you like to be remembered for?
I would like to be remembered as a man who stopped the use of fake certificates/results by teachers in Cross-River state and a man that stands for the truth.
SOURCE: GRASSROOTS PUBLISHER