AKWA Ibom State Government may revert the policy of handing over the management of mission schools and hospitals in the state to their original owners due to overgrown weeds and decayed structures despite the over N400m paid back to the original owners by the Attah administration to help sustain the institutions.

Governor Godswill Akpabio  stated this when he undertook an unscheduled visit to the Methodist General Hospital, Ituk Mbang,Uruan, describing the handing over of the schools and hospitals by the past administration to their owners as well-intentioned.

Governor Akpabio regretted that though the government did not set a standard to the owners on the management of the educational and health institutions, most of them could not live up to government genuine intention in this regard.

The State Chief Executive pledged to hold a meeting with the original owners with a view to ascertaining standards for strict compliance, vowing that the government would revert the decision on the handing over by any erring mission owner.

Chief Akpabio observed that government is paying salaries to most staff and wondered what necessitated the clamour for handing over of the institutions to their owners while most of them are not properly managed, reaffirming governments resolve to convene a meeting and reach a discussion with stakeholders to enable children in the state to benefit from free and compulsory education.

The governor directed the five catchment local government areas of the airport to send names of 20 graduate engineers for overseas training to form core staff of the airport on completion and made a donation of N25 million to help the council in reconstructing the Oron Main market razed by fire earlier this year.

Chief Akpabio said the state government was ready to take back most of the institutions  for a complete turn around in order to provide a congenial environment for the members of the community to receive good medical attention.

He directed that a comprehensive data of the mission hospitals and their operation be forwarded to him, noting that such act of abandonment was unacceptable.

Chief Akpabio who was conducted round the wards in the hospital by the Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Mercy Ekpo and the chairman Uruan Local Government Area, Dr. Eventus  Edem sympathized with the patients whom he could  not hide his feeling but made handsome donations to  offset  their medical bills.

Mrs. Ekpo told the governor that the hospital lacked constant water supply, a generating plant and even good medical store and appealed for government?s assistance.

The permanent Secretary, Governor?s office, Mr. Etekamba Umoren had told the governor that the mission hospitals were handed over to their original owners by government on their request.

He also sympathized with the patients who had to bear the inconveniences of the hospital environment due to lack of proper maintenance of facilities, saying he would undertake routine inspection of the hospital.