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Gov’s Wife moves to eradicate illiteracy in Rivers
Education is widely acknowledged as a vital instrument of change national development and a catalyst for economic development and it also believe that it is only when people are equipped with skills, abilities and competencies that they could catalyze development in all its ramification.
This might not be unconnected to the fact why nations around the world are investing seriously in education to enhance their political consciousness, socio-economic engineering and national integration.
But developing countries like Nigeria according to a university don with Niger Delta University, Dr. Idumange Agreen is not investing up to 13 percent of its budget into education hence the challenges and problems facing the country.
The university don who spoke in Port Harcourt recently at an occasion organised by Empowerment support Initiative (ESI) to mark the 2009 International Literacy day said for education to take its pride in driving the country’s economy, the government must invest in education.
Agreen at the event noted that the crusade against illiteracy in Nigeria has gone a long way as he pointed out that the New National Policy on Education (2004) has made provision for adult literacy and non-formal education .
He disclosed that the introduction of Universal Primary Education scheme in 1976 was another attempt to bringing mass literacy to the country but he however regretted that the projects failed due to mismanagement and poor implementation which was occasioned by shortage of funds.
Research also revealed that 776 million adult lack minimum literacy skills, a good proportion of the figure are women while 75 million children are out of school but precisely 11 million Nigerians are out of school.
Some of them are street vendors, beggars, scavengers, car washers and pure water sellers in an unhealthy environment.
Investigations also revealed that such exposure (child labour) affects the acquisition of basic education as it affects the ability of children to attend school and tap the benefit of schooling but rather such children usually end up becoming armed robbers and criminals in the society thereby constituting problems for the government.
According to Agreen, “ working children hardly have time, money and energy to attend school, in Nigeria over eight million children combine schooling and work; this category of children work to pay their fees and often skip classes because of the demands of their drudgery”.
He added, “Children participation as manifested in school enrolment has declined from 86.2 percent in 1993 to 70.3% in 2000 and drop out rate is estimated at 15%.Statistics show that only 64 % of students make it to basic 5 while 43.5% continue to basic 9 while children from rural areas and urban poor live without quality education hence they continue to wallow in the vicious circle of poverty”.
Piqued by these anomalies, the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Mrs. Judith Amaechi has moved to establish 319 nursery schools to be built in all designated wards in the state.
The target according to the governor’s wife was to make available high quality start-up education for children in the rural areas who ordinarily would have access to low quality education or no education at all.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2009 International Literacy day organised by ESI , a non- governmental organisation initiated by the governor’s wife to provide practical assistance in development and welfare of women and children, the ESI’s administrator, Mr. Nowa Omorogbe explained that the school would be provided with requisite infrastructures and trained teachers .
Omorogbe disclosed that already 300 children have been admitted in the first phase of the school founded by the governor’s wife.
He added that organisation’s vision was to reverse economic disadvantages of the rural poor, put food on their table and increase productivity by sharpening their skills which will bring development in the society.
While interacting with various NGO’s , civil Liberties Organisation and scholars at the event, The Special Media Assistant to the Governor’s wife, Mr. Dike Bekwele,urged the NGO’s to work hard and come out with their best to assist in making literacy available for all.
The Niger Delta advocacy group, the 21st Century Youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC), has called on the National Assembly to expedite consideration and approval of the 2025 budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to enable the Commission accelerate its development programmes across the region.
In a statement issued yesterday by its Coordinator, Izon Ebi, the group said swift passage of the budget would empower the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, to fully implement his renewed developmental strategy and extend projects to all target communities in the Niger Delta.
The group recalled that the NDDC, on December 30, 2025, presented a ?1.75 trillion budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year to the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Explaining the proposal, Ogbuku had noted that the 2025 budget is about nine per cent lower than the ?1.985 trillion proposed and appropriated for the 2024 fiscal year.
He said the ?1.75 trillion estimate comprises ?776.5 billion as Federal Government contribution, ?752.8 billion from oil companies, ?109.4 billion as revenue brought forward from 2024, ?53.67 billion as recoveries from Federal Government agencies, and ?8.35 billion as internally generated revenue.
The group praised Ogbuku’s leadership, describing him as having transformed the NDDC into “a beacon of renewed hope” for the Niger Delta region.
The group said it was impressed by what it called Ogbuku’s charismatic leadership, grassroots engagement and developmental drive, which it noted align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the group, Ogbuku’s consultations with traditional rulers and stakeholders across the Niger Delta have helped identify priority needs of communities, strengthened collaboration in the fight against crude oil theft and contributed to a noticeable decline in criminal activities in the oil and gas sector.
The statement also highlighted the Commission’s partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) on health insurance and medical outreach programmes, improved monitoring and supervision of projects, and the deployment of solar-powered streetlights across communities, which it said has enhanced security and economic activities at night.
The group urged lawmakers to act swiftly on the budget, stressing that timely approval would further boost development, peace and stability in the Niger Delta.
It also announced that it had conferred on Ogbuku the award of “Extraordinary Leader of 2025 in the Niger Delta Region.”
Port Harcourt based media practitioners under the aegis of Port Harcourt Press, have urged the Rivers State Police Command to arrest and prosecute all suspects involved in the recent attack and harassment of Arise TV crew in Port Harcourt.
The media practitioners, at a World press conference in Port Harcourt, described as dangerous the continuous harassment of journalists by various political actors in the ongoing political crisis in the State.
The text of the briefing which was read by a former State Commissioner for information and Communications and federal lawmaker in the State, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, described as condemnable the attack on the Arise TV crew by suspected political thugs in Port Harcourt, while conducting an interview with Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, a former commissioner in the State.
According to him, “That harrowing event of Friday, January 2, where the Arise TV crew were brutally attacked by armed men in a hotel in Port Harcourt while conducting interview with Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, former Honourable Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, smacks of nothing but act of intimidation, threat to both the Nigerian media and human lives especially in the forceful carting away of broadcast equipment.”
The group further noted that the attack was not only an insult on the press freedom but on the larger society.
The group regretted the inability of the Police to arrest and bring to book the perpetrators of the act till date, warning that it may be forced to boycott police activities if those involved are not arrested and brought to book.
“From all indications, the police appear to be playing to the gallery. While the broadcast equipment were reportedly recovered, no definite arrest have been made. This body, therefore, demands an urgent and thorough investigation of this matter and those find culpable brought to justice within two weeks.
“Failure to address this issue with the urgency it requires and not carrying out satisfactory actions as required in their prosecution will attract sanctions such as withdrawal of coverage of all police activities in Rivers State by media organisations and journalists as we stand in solidarity with the NUJ,” the group warned.
John Bibor
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