Ebonyi State government has handed over five schools to the Catholic Church in the state.

The schools handed over to the Catholic Mission include: King David Gifted Academy, Vocational College, Government Technical College, Agba, Government Technical College, Afikpo and Government Technical College, Abakaliki.

Governor Dave Umahi officially made the handover after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Dr Micheal Okoro on Thursday.

He blamed moral decadence and other societal ills in the country on loss of moral education which missionaries brought to Nigeria.

“Part of the problems of the society is that the moral education the missionaries brought to us is no longer there. Part of the problem is that we have abandoned God for other things. We started to dream a dream on how to raise excellent children; how to have something special that Ebonyi will be known for and God told us to start what may be called King David Gifted Academy.

“One day, I went to that school. We asked the Catholic Church to take it over because they are the community of the Lord which you still find a great level of discipline. And so, I went there and I saw the children; they were marching to go and eat. For me, it was a solemn moment and a reflection of the past and I said to myself, one day I will take my metal box and use keke Napep and go and spend one day in the school; join them in their classes, join them in their refractory, join them in their prep, join them to sleep because I am so excited with what the Catholic community is doing in that institution,” Umahi stated.

Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kenneth Ugbala commended the Catholic Church for taking lead in managing the educational sector in the state and encouraged other churches to emulate the Catholic Church.

(Nigerian Tribune)