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13,000 Teachers’ Job:Amaechi Issues Appointment Letters, Today
Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will today hand over appointment letters to the newly employed 13, 000 teachers who successfully passed the teachers recruitment exercise in the state.
Governor Amaechi who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence Nemi, disclosed this when she received a UNESCO delegation, stating that the teachers’ appointment was part of moves by the current administration to ensure quality education in the state.
Dame Lawrence-Alice also commended Governor Amaechi for giving much attention to the education sector, stating that UNESCO would assist the state government to undertake an assessment of the number of children that are out of school in the state.
“Not that the Minsitry of Education did not know the figures, but we want professionals to make their assessment and tell us, particularly, now that Nigerians are jittering that about 10.5 million children are out of school.
And at this time, every state is fighting hard to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and I think in Rivers State, we have done well on infrastructure. We have gone into training of our teachers and employment of 13,000 teachers. And these teachers by Wednesday this week will pick up their letters, and we shall commence induction course for them, and they will also be sent to the classrooms for training for three months.
By September, all the 13,000 teachers will be in our model schools, Junior Secondary Schools as well as the Senior Secondary School.
This is the biggest employment Governor Amaechi has done in the education sector, and the employment of teachers was not an easy task for us. That was why the Ministry of Education took time to advertise, and we invited JAMB to get them write their examination, marked the scripts and gave us the results. We also invited Price Water House Copper to screen the teachers. We equally engaged a consultant to confirm their qualifications for us”, Lawrence-Nemi said.
She further gave the indication that teachers employed by the Rivers State Government must be committed to their assignment and professional calling towards ensuring quality education in the state.
“For us in Rivers State, we believe that for you to be a teacher, you must be committed, and as I speak to you, the teachers we have are very much committed and they are also appreciating what Governor Amaechi has done, particularly in the education sector”, she said.
She added that by September this year, about 250 model primary schools in the state would be functional.
Earlier, the Director and Representatives of the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Professor Hassana Alidou said she was in the state to examine what the Ministry of Education was doing in promoting quality education in the state.
Professor Alidou also said, UNESCO would examine the method of access to education, and the extent of quality education in the state, and ensure it was in consonance with world standard.
“On behalf of my director-general who masterminded our visit to the Ministry of Education, I wish to extend the appreciation of our leader, Dauda Toure, and also extend to you the warm greetings of the Resident Coordinator of the UN System”, Professor Alidou said.
Shortly after an assessment tour of some model schools built by Governor Amaechi administration, Professor Alidou commended the efforts of Governor Amaechi for providing quality educational infrastructure, learning facilities and conducive learning environment for pupils and students in public schools.
“I think Governor Amaechi has made huge investment in the education sector and human capital development programmes, the children are neatly dressed, and with free food, the children will be encouraged. It is a comprehensive approach to the educational system”, Professor Alidou said.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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