I wish, on behalf of the government of the Onigbongbo L.C.D.A to thank the Chairman and members of the onigbongbo Education Foundation for organizing this capacity building seminar which I am told is the first in a series of similar events on the card.

It will be safe to assume that at least 90 per cent of those who are in this hall today attended public primary schools. I am also certain that all those who did can easily recall with nostalgia those glorious days when everything seemed to work with little or no effort. In comparison, we can say that the pupils in the public schools today, when compared to “our own time” are having a raw deal.

Unfortunate, but true!

Yet much of the problems can be solved by those within this room today.

The people in this room are actually the administrators, policy makers and managers of our primary schools.

I strongly believe that if the people in this room commit themselves to a revival of the system and back their belief with action, wonders can be performed.

It is against this background that I charge everyone in this room to look at the problems critically and commit to change.

Teachers’ attitudes, head teachers’ complicity etc are problems that need to b