The Rivers State Government is to spend N1billion monthly as salaries for the newly recruited 13,000 teachers.
The 13,000 teachers made up of both indigenes and non-indigenes were presented with their appointment letters last week Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
The state Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi said that the teachers appointment was part of the moves by the present administration to ensure quality education in the state.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice  Lawrence- Nemi while playing host to a delegation from UNESCO, commended the governor for giving much attention to the educational development of the state.
She said that UNESCO would assist the government to undertake an assessment of the number of children that are out of school.
“Not that the Ministry of Education did not know the figures but we want professionals to make their assessment and tell us particularly, how Nigerians are jittery that about 10.5million children are out of school.
“And at the same time, every state is fighting hard to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), she said.
Dame Nemi also said that induction course shall commence for the newly recruited teachers pointing out that they shall be sent to the classrooms for training and would be deployed by September, to both junior and senior secondary schools.
She urged the new teachers to be committed to their assignment and professional calling towards ensuring quality education in the state.
The commissioner said that the 13,000 teachers will reduce the burden of teachers in several subjects at a time when in actual sense, they were meant to teach only one subject each.
She also revealed that 90% of those recruited were indigenes while 10% were non indigenes.
The commissioner also said that 9,000 of the existing teachers have been retrained in a special programme with the British council.
Meanwhile, The flood enlightenment campaign organized by the Rivers State Government has ended with a call for
people living in the five flood prone local government areas of the state to make preparations and
identify higher grounds in their communities for easy evacuation following the2013     imminent flood
prediction by the National Metrological Agency (NIMET) and National Emergency Management
Agency(NEMA).
Addressing participants at the  sensitization in Abua/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni council secretariats special Duties Commissioner, Barrister Dickson Umunakwe explained that their preparations will help cushion the effects associated with flooding.
He identified clogging of drainages with refuse, building over drainages and erecting structures along shorelines as the major causes of flooding, noting that these factors hinder  the smooth flow of water and warned against such practice.
Determined to forestall loss of lives from last year’s flood, the Special Duties boss said the state government will deploy six flying boats each, in the five prone LGAs of the state for easier evacuation and a marine ambulance stationed at the Orashi River in Ahoada West Local Government for first hand medicare.
“We will also partner with the lining ministers including power, water, health, environment, housing who will provide the needed facilities to cater for the imminent need of the flood victims at the camps.
On the issues raised during the interactive session on dredging of the River Niger, which the participants say, will help stop floods once there is an overflow of water from the dams, the commissioner said such projects are capital intensive, which the state budget cannot hand, and  called on the federal government to come to their aid.
Also speaking, the South-South coordinator of NEMA, Mr Emenike Umesi represented by the Desk Officer, Mr Denis Egwu called for government -community synergy to enhance emergency operations and appealed to the indigenes of the areas to harvest their corps early before the flood steps in.
In another development, the Rivers State Government says that the era of haphazard and unco-ordinated projects in the state is over.
Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who said this during the launching of the state partners for sustainable Development (RSPSD) on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, said that  the initiative would provide the platform for a coordinated and integrated  infrastructural development across the state.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister Dickkson Umunakwe, also restated the commitment of the government to use the state resources to improve its condition.
He said that the government expects the various partners in the developmental initiative to work together for the common good of the state and its citizens.
The Regional Director, United Nations in Nigeria, Mr Dauda Toure, described the launching as a bold attempt by the Rivers State Government to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Mr Toure, who was represented by the coordinator United Nations Institute for training and Research (UNITARE), South-South, Dr Larry Boms, said that the organization will continue to work with state government s to achieve MDGs but noted that the United Nations was already looking at post-MDGs era.
He also stressed the need for a new spirit of solidarity and mutual accountability among development partners and solicited government cooperation with international agencies to enhance development.
Chairman of the state Economic Advisory Council, Prof Nimi Briggs described the programme as timely as it would ensure that  the resources of the state were used to improve the welfare of ordinary people.
According to him, it is something that should be welcome by all concerned.
Earlier, the executive director of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), Mr Noble Pepple, said that the state partners for sustainable development which is a brainchild of the RSSDA, is a platform to ensure coordinated development in the state.
Mr Pepple, who described the initiative as one of the mandates of the agency to promote sustainable development in the state, however, said that the RSPSD is owned by all the partners.