2027: Benson Pledges to Make Public Education Priority in Ikwuano/Umuahia

For children learning in dilapidated classrooms, access to quality education can determine whether they stay in school or drop out. PDP candidate Humphrey Chukwudi Benson says rebuilding public schools will be his priority if elected in 2027.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Engr. Humphrey Chukwudi Benson, has promised to make public education his top priority if elected to the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections.

Benson, popularly known as Enyioha, made the commitment during his ongoing consultations with communities across Ikwuano and Umuahia.

He said the future of the constituency could not be secured without deliberate investment in public education, particularly in schools serving children from low-income and rural communities.

According to him, neglecting public schools amounts to putting the future of the next generation at risk.

“I am a product of public school. I know what it means to sit in a classroom without a roof, without a desk. If elected, I will not allow our children to go through what we went through,” Benson said.

The PDP candidate expressed concern over what he described as the poor condition of some public primary and secondary schools across the constituency.

He listed dilapidated classroom blocks, inadequate desks, lack of science laboratories and libraries among the challenges facing some schools,
particularly in rural communities.

Benson also criticised the growing disparity between children whose parents can afford expensive private schools and those who depend on public education.

He said his administration, if elected,
would seek to attract federal interventions through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and constituency projects to improve public schools across the 32 wards of Ikwuano/Umuahia.

He said the proposed interventions would include the rehabilitation of classroom blocks, provision of desks and other learning materials, boreholes, toilets and perimeter fencing.

Benson promises bursaries for indigent students

Beyond infrastructure, Benson promised to introduce an annual bursary and scholarship programme for indigent but academically promising students in the constituency.

He said the initiative would build on the educational support provided through his Enyioha Foundation.

According to him, no child should be forced to abandon school simply because his or her family cannot afford school fees.

Benson also promised to work with traditional rulers, town unions, churches and other community stakeholders to encourage out-of-school children to return to the classroom.

“Public education is not charity. It is the foundation of development. If we fix our schools, we have fixed unemployment, we have fixed crime, we have fixed poverty,” he said.

Community leaders, women and youths who attended the consultations reportedly welcomed the promise, with some describing it as a fresh approach to addressing educational challenges in the constituency.

The campaign also highlighted what it described as Benson’s previous interventions through his foundation, including support for students, learning materials and school fees, as evidence of his commitment to education.

With the 2027 election approaching, Benson’s campaign says its focus is on building a constituency where children, regardless of their background, can have access to better educational opportunities.

Ónyé Ághálá Ñwáññéyá — “A man who does not abandon his brother will not abandon our children’s future.”
Source: Enyioha Media Directorate.