Ebonyi will return all mission schools to their original owners by December, Gov. Francis Nwifuru promised in Abakaliki on Sunday.
Nwifuru made the promise during a pastoral visit to him by Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Most Rev. Peter Nworie.
The governor acknowledged that the Catholic Church and others were tactical in improving quality of education in the state.
He directed the Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to begin the process of the return of the schools to the Missions.
“We are badly challenged in the area of education.
“We have agreed at a cabinet meeting to send 100 First Class and 2nd Class Upper Division graduates to countries of their choice to further their education.
“We will also sponsor 300 persons to study for their Masters degrees in Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning of their choice.
“We won’t hesitate if the Catholic Church or other Missions are ready to take back their schools that were taken over by government,’’ the governor said.
He earlier commended the bishop for the visit and for blessing the congregation of the Government House chapel.
Nwifuru assured of his readiness to carry churches along in his administration.
Earlier, Most Rev. Nworie said the Church was ready to work with government to enhance teaching and learning in Ebonyi.
“Those schools were forcefully taken away from us after the civil war. The governor knows our feelings about this,’’ he said.
The cleric also expressed readiness of the Church under his leadership to support the governor to achieve his goals for the state.
He appreciated Nwifuru for the positive steps so far taken by his administration.
He also called on cabinet members of government to give their full support to the governor.
“If there is failure in your area there is a failure in the whole government because the success of any member of the cabinet is the success of the governor and that of the whole government.
“Today’s reading is an invitation for all members of the current government to assist the governor to achieve his goals for the state,’’ Nworie noted