By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Government has promised to return all Mission Schools to their original owners before the end of this year.

Governor Francis Nwifuru gave the indication during a Pastoral Visit of the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Most Reverend Dr Peter Nworie Chukwu, to the Government House Chapel, Ochoudo Centenary City.

Nwifuru who was responding to an appeal by the Bishop acknowledged that the Catholic Church was strategic to attainment ofquality teaching and learning in Schools in the state and directed the Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to immediately commence the process of handover of the schools to the Missions.

The Governor had earlier commended the Catholic Bishop for coming to bless the congregation of the Government House Chapel and assured of his readiness to carry along the Churches, including the Catholic Church, in his administration.

The Governor also discouraged the Church against meddling into politics, saying their primary duty should be to preach salvation to mankind.

Governor Nwifuru who went down memory lane to chronicle the turbulence during the elections, thanked God for seeing him through the struggle.

Th Governor’s comments were contained in a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, in Abakiliki on Sunday.

"I am not ashamed to identify with the Church because I believe that God Almighty is the owner of the Church. I have always told people that I am not an ordinary person, otherwise how can a former bricklayer, conductor and motorcycle mechanic become Governor of your state within a space of ten years.

"We are very much badly challenged in the area of education and we have agreed in Exco that we are going to send 100 first Class and 2nd Class Upper Graduates to Countries of their choice to further their education. When they come back, they will teach in our Schools.

"We will also send 300 persons to do their Masters in any Nigeria Higher Institutions of their choice.

"We have a lot of challenges in the Education sector and as far as I am concerned we are going to get it back by having quality teachers in Primary and Secondary Schools.

"We won't hesitate, if the Catholic Church is ready to take back their Schools, we areready and not only Catholic Church, every other Churches whose schools were taken over.

"I am happy that my Lord Bishop said he is going to support me, if I have physical support and now spiritual support, thereis no reason I will not perform and I am very sure I am going to perform,” the statement quoted the Governor as saying.

Nwifuru assured that the chapel would never be usedto preachpolitics .

Earlier in his homily, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Most Reverend Dr Peter Nworie Chukwu, appreciated Governor Nwifuru for the positive steps he has so far taken in his administration and restated the readiness of the Catholic Church under his leadership to support the Governor to achieve his goals for the state.

He called on Cabinet members of Government to cooperate with the Governor to bequeath enduring legacies on the sands of time.

"If there is failure in your area, there is a failure in the whole Government because the success of any member of the Cabinet isthe success of the Governor and that of the whole Government.

"So today's reading is an invitation for all members of the current Government to assist the Governor to achieve his goals for Ebonyi State,” the Bishop said.

He commended the past Governors ofthe State for opening up the rural Communities for the transformation ongoing in the state today.

"The question is what legacies will Governor Nwifuru leave behind? He cannot do it alone that is why he assembled this team, your role as Cabinet members is to proffer him critical advice.

"He has started very well, I am a critical observer of what is going on; the first thing that caught my attention was payment of gratuity to retired civil servants.

"The other thing that he has done is to reach out to the Church, the Governor is the political head of the State and the Bishop is the Spiritual Leader and that is why I am here to show that we are ready to work with his Government,” the Bishop added.