After Trojan News Media exposed an extensive scam and deliberate fraud within the Edo State Ministry of Education last week, Governor Godwin Obaseki and Ms. Joan Oviawe hastily issued queries to the Permanent Secretary and five other Directors in an attempt to conceal the enormous fraud and inefficiency plaguing the ministry.
Prominent civil servants, who have been questioned for allegedly leaking information about the fraud within the ministry, include Dr. Oni, the Acting Permanent Secretary and the most senior Director; Mrs. Iyere, Director of Policy, Planning, Research, and Statistics; Mr. Osawe, Director of Exams and School Support Services; Mrs. Ero, Director of the Education Resources Centre; Mrs. Iyayi, Director of Social Mobilisation and Special Education; and Mrs. Ogedegbe, Director of Social Services.
Sources within the government have revealed that the commissioner’s inflated ego has not only led to the destruction of one of the best education policies in Nigeria but has also caused irreparable damage to the ministry’s reputation.
“This egoistic woman who should have been sacked by the Governor for financial infractions and inefficiency has succeeded in pigeonholeding the Governor to taking irrational decisions by issuing queries to the defenceless civil servants whose counsel refused to take by engaging her partner in Mrs Chinelo Adaobi to detroy education in the state.
“Ms Joan Oviawe who is addressed as the defacto Governor of the state as a result of her overbearing primitive style; exploiting her unusual closeness to the Governor and her status arrogance had earlier suspended two junior civil servants in the ministry for her personal failures.
“Over the last two weeks, the commissioner has been in New York, United States of America with Governor Godwin Obaseki who is undergoing eye surgery instead of focusing on the litany of crises in her ministry in the state.
“Sonnest, she will be forced to tell the tax payers where she getting the money with which she is maintaining two homes in Nigeria and in the US because her salaries is public knowledge.
“As we speak, she is currently pressurizing members of the Panel of Enquiry investigating the two persons earlier suspended from the ministry to convert the people she suspended in the ministry to sack, even when preliminary reports stated otherwise”, our sources in government house who craved anonymity told our reporter in Benin City.
According to a report by Trojan News Media, the ministry is currently in turmoil as shocking revelations emerge, exposing it as the largest scam in the history of the state. It has transformed into a hub of financial misconduct, becoming a breeding ground for rampant corruption.
Last week, Trojan’s Education Correspondent highlighted the colossal failure of Governor Godwin Obaseki and Ms. Joan Oviawe to successfully administer the Primary Six Leaving Certificate Examination. Despite the allocation of billions of naira towards revitalizing education over the past seven years, the examination proved to be a complete disaster across the state.
Driven by their own financial interests and illicit gains obtained through questionable dealings with the futures of Edo pupils, the ministry ensured that 75% of the children who had paid for the examination were unable to sit for it. Shockingly, parents and pupils were observed bringing chairs and tables from their homes as the state government had deliberately failed to provide these essential resources. Additionally, the ministry failed to supply teachers and question papers required for the entrance examination.
A civil rights group based in Abuja, the capital territory of Nigeria, has taken action by writing to the World Bank, urging them to look beyond the superficial facade of Edo State’s alleged education reform. They emphasize that there is no tangible evidence on the ground to justify the $75 million loan obtained by the state government to address the decay within the educational system.
“Governor Godwin Obaseki had previously announced the approval of a $75 million facility from the World Bank, aiming to bring significant changes and improvements to Edo State’s educational infrastructure, resources, and overall quality of education. However, Prince Mayaki expressed concern over the lack of visible impact and improvements in the educational system, stating that promised advancements have not materialized and numerous challenges persist”, the statement read in part.
Truth Live News has received confirmation that Trojan News Media’s Special Report weekly edition will shed light on the six-year budget performance index of the Edo State Ministry of Education, specifically addressing the complete deterioration of educational infrastructure in the state. The investigation will primarily focus on the misappropriation of funds intended for reviving the sector, which were instead diverted into private pockets for the acquisition of personal properties in the United States.
