RVHA Passes Education Qquality Assurance Agency Bill

The Rivers State House of Assembly,  has finally passed, the State Education
Quality Assurance Agency bill after three unsuccessful attempts.

The law, which is
expected to be operational when the State governor puts his assent on it,
empowers the Agency to regulate standards in both private and public schools in
the state.

The passage of the
bill Tuesday, followed amendments to the report of the House Committee on
Education after its public Hearing aimed at receiving contributions from
stakeholders and the public to strengthen the relevance of the proposed law.

In their separate contributions on the bill, members
stressed the importance of quality education in the state, realizing that
structures alone cannot guarantee standards but concerted efforts must be made
through the instrumentality of the law.

The Leader of the House, Hon. Chidi Lloyd and Hon. Ibelema
Okpokiri, identified fundamental confusion in the report of the Education
Committee, stressing that what the proposed law requires is to set the tune for
the agency to operate.

They argued that section 4 (e) was not necessary because Cap
47 and 48 of the existing Education law has taken care of the new schedule
proposed in the report, and urged the lawmakers to set aside that portion of
the report and pass the bill.

Hon. Michael Okey-Chinda, representing Obio/Akpor
Constituency 11, posited that since Cap 47 and 48 of the Education Law would be
utilized by the Quality Assurance Agency, the bill should be pigeon holed until
the relevant sections of the principal law was amended in line with current
realities.

Hon. Nname Ewor, Ahoada East 1, Onari Brown, Akuku-Toru 1,
urged the House to effect amendment in the report and pass the bill to allow
the Agency commence work, while the relevant amendments in the Education bill
can be done later.

When the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, divided the
House, the lawmakers voted 14 against two in favour of the amendment in the
report of the House Committee on Education and subsequently passed the bill.

Meanwhile, the people of Mgbu-Osimini and Rumueme in
Obio/Akpor Local Government council petitioned the Assembly on the non chalant
attitude of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) over the toxic spill in their
communities and prayed the Assembly to intervene.

The Speaker, after hearing the petition as presented by
their representative, Hon. Michael Okey-Chinda, directed the Standing House
Committee on Environment to handle the matter and report its findings to the
House.