The governor says grasses have overgrown some schools in Ebonyi State.

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has ordered officials of public and private schools in the state to clean up their environments or risk being sacked by the state government.

Mr Umahi, in an Executive Order issued on Thursday, said his decision to compel the school officials followed reports that grasses had overgrown some schools in the state with many of them "looking dirty, untidy and literally unhabitable."

The governor explained that the "trend constitutes environmental hazards and has been adversely affecting the infrastructural and aesthetic beauty" of the schools in the state, adding that he decided to shift from suggestions to making the order so as to reverse the trend.

"The purpose of this order is to provide for the mandatory environmental clean-up of the premises, surroundings, gutters and access roads and to promote the beautification of the premises in all the public and private primary and secondary schools in Ebonyi State," Mr Umahi said in the Executive Order.

The governor added that plants and ornamental flowers planted within and outside the premises of the schools should be groomed and maintained.

He stressed that the order took immediate effect and would be subject to further review and amendment as the need arises.

"Any principal or headmaster/mistress, tutorial/non-tutorial staff, pupil or student of any public and private primary and secondary schools who fails to comply with the directives or requirements issued under this order, is guilty of gross misconduct and liable to summary dismissal from service or expulsion from school as the case may be," he said.

"Where the offender is a principal or headmaster/mistress, he/she shall be guilty of dereliction of duty and shall be relieved of his or her appointment without any benefit or entitlement," Mr Umahi stated.

He directed the state ministry of education, the state secondary education board, the state universal basic education board to ensure "full and strict compliance to the order" as well as "invoke and apply relevant provisions of the public service rules against any defaulting staff from any school in the state."