By Ngwuoke Ngwuoke
The Chairman of Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, ENSUBEB, Dr Gabriel Ajah, has received a distinguished merit award from the South East Media Forum for his outstanding services to education in the state.
Presenting the award to the Chairman in his office in Enugu Thursday, the Zonal Chairman of the Forum, Comrade Norbert Okolo, said the Forum conducted a study of Universal Basic Education Boards in the South East geo-political zone in terms of performance and Dr. Ajah emerged with the highest scores.
He said, “We did a study of Universal Basic Education Boards in the South-East and came up with what is needed in education management. Of all the Board Chairmen you scored the highest in performance.
“As a Permanent Secretary and later acting Chairman of ENSUBEB, Dr GOC Ajah revolutionized innovations and constructed new class room blocks equiped with the latest instructional materials in Enugu State.
“Upon his appointment and assumption of office as incumbent Executive Chairman of ENSUBEB almost one year now, Dr. Ajah has introduced some innovative, qualitative learning and teaching in our junior secondary and primary schools in line with Governor Mbah’s educational programme using Smarts Schools to achieve quality basic education for all children of school age in Enugu State.”
Okolo described the ENSUBEB boss as a silent achiever, a perfect gentleman, administrative collosus, a community leader and a servant of God.
Receiving the award, Dr. Ajah said he dedicated it first to God and then to Governor Peter Mbah, whom he described as a disruptive innovator and a great lover of education who demonstrated his love for education by allocating 33% of the state budget to that sector.
“The Board is being driven by the core values of disruptive innovation, institutional capacity, responsive citizenship, excellence, character and competence as well as team work in keeping with the vision of the governor.
“By the end of this year, Governor Mbah would have delivered 260 smart schools, one in each of the 260 political wards in the State. The essence is to ensure that no child of school age is denied quality education. We want to produce the best for our state”, Ajah explained.
Other members of the South East Media Forum that attended the brief ceremony were the Coordinating Chairman, Comrade Newman Chukwuaja, the Media Coordinator Chukwuma Nebo, the Public Relations Officer Mrs. Immaculate Agbo and a member of the Executive Committee, Michael Agada.
