By Austin Ogwuda

Asaba — DELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday, flagged off the Delta EduMarshal initiative, aimed at discouraging absenteeism of students of school age, just as he explained why he closed down Government Model Primary School located at Government Reserved Area, GRA, Asaba, venue of the flag-off, temporarily.

The governor was unhappy that parents of the students instigated the children and wards to protest against the closure of the school.

Peeved by the development, Governor Uduaghan, said: “This school was specially built for a particular standard, which has not been attained and we have not finished the construction work in the school. We have not finished putting all the facilities in place. All the electronic equipment, security gadgets are not yet in place. In spite of that, somebody opened the school and put children there before I realised it.

“Special teachers will be employed and given special training, the management will be restructured to meet the set standard and the infrastructure will be in place to enable the pupils attain the set standard for the school.”

Inaugurating over 25 Education Special Marshals and 100 Education Marshals charged with the responsibility of ensuring that all school-age children attend school compulsorily, Uduaghan, said “this programme is a serious business to get our children back to school.”

while you are supposed to be in school, don’t go,” he charged children in the state.

The governor named the Minister of Finance, Professor Ngozi Okonjo Iwela and the Chief Executive Officer of This Day Newspaper, Chief Nduka Obiagbena as ambassadors of Education because of their commitment to education especially in the State.