History Will Judge Amaechi – Akarolo

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi clocks two years in office on October 25, 2009. With barely three months to the anniversary, keen watchers of the administration have already commenced an appraisal of his activities so far. One of them is the former chairman of Port Harcourt Local Government, Prince Captain Akarolo who believes that the governor has achieved much within this period.
Prince Akarolo, told The TIDE in an interview that he arrived at this conclusion after making a general appraisal of Amaechi’s government’s performance since October 25, 2007. Akarolo insisted that even the most hardened critics of the government would agree that Amaechi has recorded giant strides in the areas of security, culture, health, road/infrastructure, housing, education, water supply and power generation as well as transport, women and youth empowerment, among others.
He particularly drew the attention to the education sector, where the governor emerged as one of the contractors that won the contracts for the building of model schools in the State and has indeed faithfully built the Elekhahia Model School among others.
He pointed out that the Amaechi’s government inherited an education sector that many believed was in deep crisis and being convinced that the crises was beyond the mere rehabilitation of existing structures, the government was compelled to declare a “state of emergency” in the sector which came into effect in September, 2007. Akarolo told The Tide that with the state of emergency declared, the education sector alone gulped 18 percent of the budget.
The former chairman acknowledged, however, that the 18 percent falls short of the 26 percent prescribed by UNESCO, but was quick to add that it was a great boost to the education sector, especially as government had to take over responsibility for primary school education entirely, a development he recalled, includes an annual wage bill of about N12 billion for the payment of teachers’ salaries. He stated that as further incentive to primary school teachers, government also introduced car loan for teachers and approved a special remuneration and welfare regime for teachers who work in rural areas.
More fundamental, he said, is the known fact that under the emergency scheme, the Amaechi government decided to build an average of 250 new primary school complex per annum to replace the existing dilapidated structures scattered all over the State, with the projection that by the end of the exercise, it would have built a total of 1, 000 new primary schools, thus replacing the entire physical structure of the State primary school system. Besides, ­government is resolute in equipping the schools and manning them under a new teachers training initiative that is part of the education emergency programme”, he said.
Akarolo commended Amaechi for building the Elekhahia model primary school with dispatch, candour, utmost seriousness, dedication and commitment. The former chairman said his father (the incumbent paramount ruler) and the entire indigenes of the community would remain eternally grateful to the government for the project.
Amaechi’s stride in education, he said, is not limited to primary schools. At the secondary school level, government, under a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with various interests such as banks and oil companies, embarked on the construction of new, and properly equipped modern secondary schools, with the ultimate aim of having these model schools in every local government area of the State. The project started with a pilot scheme of one per senatorial zone. He re-echoed the governor’s assurance to the State that these schools would be adequately equipped with boarding facilities for up to 1,000 students per school as well as housing facilities for an estimated forty (40) teachers per school, with all utilities.
Akarolo also Commended the Rivers State commissioner for Education, Alice for fortuitously executing Amaechi’s vision in the sector, saying that under her, education has really moved forward in the State. It is on record that the state government has embarked on massive re-orientation programme for school teachers at all levels as a way of preparing the State for its new education programme aside the provision of adequate learning tools for State schools in form of books and other institutional materials.
“Beyond secondary school education, the Amaechi’s government’s giant footprints could also be seen at the tertiary level”, Akarolo said, adding that government has continued to adequately fund the State University of Science and Technology (UST), the College of Education and the Polytechnic at Bori so much that over N3 billion has been sunk in UST alone to advance teaching and learning there.
The erstwhile chairman argued that in taking these giant steps, Amaechi was obviously driven by the need to assist the institution to update its facilities/infrastructures, and to put it in a better state for accreditation. He said that this objective has been achieved as the University has now earned full accreditation of its major courses, while members of the institution’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are being motivated to pursue higher degrees in their respective disciplines to ensure a higher quality of instruction and competitiveness, internationally.
He also drew the attention to the State scholarship scheme which the government has under a new board. Under the revamped scholarship scheme, he noted that, Amaechi’s government has trained several Rivers State students at home and abroad while vigorously pursuing rapid development through its policies and programmes.
Akarolo said with this level of achievements under two years, it be hooves on all those who meant well for Rivers State to support the government in its glaring quest to take the State to the next level. In particular, he appealed to the opposition in the State, including those resident outside the state, especially those referred to as ‘Abuja Politicians’ to close ranks with the government and join in the effort at remaking the State.
It is his tenacious belief that more than anything else, if those who have instituted various litigations against the government could have a rethink and withdraw these cases from the courts, it would augur well for the development of the State and solidify the unity of the State, adding that they need no Nostradamus or Haruspex to tell them that Amaechi meant well for the State. He therefore enjoined the governor to continue with his good works and refuse to be distracted by detractors, as history will surely judge him right.