News
13,000 Teachers Jobs: RSG Shortlists 20,000 For Interview
No fewer than 40,000 applicants have finally been confirmed to have failed the aptitude test held to screen candidates seeking recruitment as teachers into the Rivers State public schools.
The 40,000 candidates were among about 60,000 indigenes from across the 23 local government areas of the state and others who had participated in the written recruitment examinations in centres located within Port Harcourt and its environs on 15 August, 2012.
Consequently, about 20,000 candidates have finally been shortlisted for oral interview, commencing next Monday at three designated centres in Port Harcourt.
The Tide gathered that the 20,000 applicants made the Ministry of Education’s next phase of the interview after scaling through the tough examination questions, and making not less than the 160 cut off point set by the ministry.
The names of the 20,000 successful candidates have already been displayed at various locations in the state capital, including the Rivers State Secretariat Complex, premises of the Post Primary Schools Board, Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board and secretariats of the 23 local government areas.
In addition, the 20,000 candidates have also been notified vide their emails and the internet portal through which they completed the registration process for the initial examinations on 15 August.
The Tide learnt that after the written and oral interview, the final list of 13,000 teachers recruited for the state public schools would be published.
A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Richard Ofuru, advised candidates to check their names, interview dates and centres at the designated locations in the state, and avail themselves of the opportunity to participate in the oral interview.
The permanent secretary implored successful candidates to bring along with them two copies of their completed curriculum vitae, containing their names, dates of birth, gender, state of origin and local government area.
He also advised those shortlisted to appear for the interview with photocopies of academic qualifications, including first school leaving certificates, West African Examinations Council Certificates, National Examinations Council Certificates, university or polytechnic certificates, National Youth Service Corps discharge certificates, and two passport photographs as well as writing materials.
The interview, according to the statement, would be conducted in both oral and written format, beginning next Monday at the Civic Centre Complex, Moscow Road, Ministry of Justice Auditorium, State Secretariat Complex, and the state College of Arts and Science in Port Harcourt.
Noting that each candidate has been notified of the specific date, place and time of his or her interview, the permanent secretary stated that each set of candidates has been grouped into batches, and would be accredited to start the exams at exactly 8am and 1pm for the first and second batch, respectively.
It would be recalled that the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Richard Ofuru had earlier said that only those who score 160 points and above would be shortlisted and subjected to another round of written and oral interviews as part of the selection process.
However, it was discovered that some persons who scored 160 points and above, could not find their names on the list displayed at the three centres.
Consequently, Ofuru has directed those whose names are missing from the list to write down their names at the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, and report back to the ministry at 7.30am on Monday for further directives.
Meanwhile, the display centres have been inundated with a sea of heads as hundreds of thousands of applicants for the 13,000 teachers’ jobs scrambled for hours in the last couple of days to spot their names on the list.
Most of the candidates, who spoke with The Tide at the State Secretariat Complex, complained that the names were so tiny that it was very difficult for them to easily identify their names, dates of the interviews and centres.
They also complained that the list was so disjointed that it was to know how many candidates were shortlisted in the first place.
In another development, the Rivers State Ministry of Education has postponed the Common Entrance Examinations into the Nne Kurubo Model Secondary School, Ebubu, Eleme initially slated for tomorrow.
According to a statement dated October 31, and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Richard Ofuru, the exams would now hold on November 10, 2012.
He explained that the change in date was necessitated by the need to allow Rivers people observe the monthly sanitation exercise, which comes up tomorrow.
While insisting that the venue and time for the exams remain the same, Ofuru advised those affected to take note of the new date, and ensure that they made themselves available for the exams, expressing regrets at the inconveniences the postponement may cause parents, guardians, and those expected to participate in the exams.
Eunice Kayode-Choko
News
Fubara Dedicates Victory To Rivers Unity …As INEC Declares Guber Election Results …PDP Wins 31 State Assembly Seats

Rivers State governor-elect, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dedicated his victory at the March 18 governorship polls to the unity of Rivers people.
Fubara noted that the determination of the people to sustain development gave him the victory as he described the giant strides of Governor Nyesom Wike as a big shoe that he would learn to wear.
The governor-elect who reacted to his declaration as the winner of the governorship election in the state on Monday, assured Rivers people of sustaining the tempo for the betterment of the state, adding that he is prepared to work with Rivers people who believe in the new Rivers vision and with innovative ideas.
He thanked Wike for his encouragement and for finding him worthy to carry on from where he will stop, describing it as a great privilege.
He glorified God as the foundation of his accomplishments in life and further assured the party leaders and Rivers people that he would not let them down but work in same spirit that has been passed on to him by Wike.
Fubara had scored 302,614 votes to beat his closet rival, Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who trailed behind with 95,274 and 46,981, respectively.
In same vein, the Peoples Democratic Party swept all the State House of Assembly seats except for Ahoada West that is pending a rerun in some wards.
The State Returning Officer, Prof Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, who announced the result late Monday night at the end of the two-day collation at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Head Office in Port Harcourt, had declared Fubara as the winner of the governorship election.
The PDP candidate polled 302,614 votes to defeat his closet rival Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 95,274 votes while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Senator Magnus Abe, and Labour Party (LP), Beatrice Itubo came a distant third and fourth with 46,981 and 22,224 votes, respectively.
Rim-Rukeh, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Delta State, said a total of 496,852 were accredited for the March 18 governorship election out of the 3,537,190 registered voters in the state.
He explained that of the 494,604 total votes cast, 483,934 were valid while 10, 670 were rejected votes.
Fubara was anointed by the incumbent Governor Nyesom Wike who is in the last weeks of his two-term of eight years.
News
Fubara’s Victory Reaffirms Rivers As PDP’s Stronghold -Wike …We’ll Sustain NEW Rivers Vision -Fubara

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, says the State has once again reasserted itself as one of the premier strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the country following the victory of Sir Siminialayi Fubara as the governor-elect.
The governor noted that despite evil machination of the opposition, the PDP has consistently won all the governorship elections in the State since 2015.
Governor Wike stated these shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Fubara as the winner of the 2023 governorship election on Monday night.
Fubara, who was the PDP candidate polled 302,614 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had 95,274 votes and the Social Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Magnus Abe who came a distant third with 46,981.
Wike, who was visibly excited by Fubara’s resounding victory, told PDP leaders at the Government House, Port Harcourt that the State would continue to remain pivotal to the successes of the PDP.
“Whom God has blessed, no one can curse. There is nothing anyone can do about it. God at this time has said Siminalayi Fubara will be the next governor, and we give God the glory today that, that has happened.
“We won 23 local governments, 23 over 23. It has never happened. Out of the 32 State constituencies, we have won 31, it is remaining one that they said we will go for bye-election. We are ready and we will take that one.
“So, we have said to anybody who cares, Rivers State is PDP. When you annoy us, we do another thing. When we wanted to vote for the unity of the country, we showed it. We didn’t do anti-party, but we voted for unity of the country and that is what we did for one Nigeria.”
Governor Wike, who dedicated the electoral victories of the PDP in the just concluded general elections to God and the people of Rivers State, commended party stalwarts for remaining steadfast in defence of the State since he assumed office in 2015.
“Let me thank all of you for the support you have given us, how you stood firm to make sure that we defend what is Rivers State. In 2015, we did it, in 2019, we did it and in 2023, we have done it again. So, it is not surprising, God has always been with us.”
Governor Wike said he would remain eternally grateful to God because when he first contested for the office of the governor in 2015, his predecessor, Chibuike Amaechi, was the incumbent, and was antagonistic to his political aspiration.
The governor while mocking his predecessor for restoring to divisive and disgusting politicking during the electioneering period, said the resounding victory of the PDP has further diminished his political relevance in Rivers State.
“When we came out in 2015, we were not in government. There was a governor (Amaechi) then in 2015. He was the Director General (DG) of (Muhammadu) Buhari campaign. In 2019, he was a super Minister and was also DG of Buhari campaign. He never gave him (Buhari) 25 percent. 2015, he never gave him 25 percent.”
“This is 2023, and they cannot get 25 percent vote in the State, we have also defeated him. You were a super governor, we defeated you. You were a super minister, we defeated you, now, you are a super nobody, we defeated you.”
Governor Wike, has however, cautioned PDP members not to be complacent because the opposition which he likened to “enemies” are still prowling around.
In his acceptance speech, the governor-elect, Fubara, who was accompanied by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, thanked God for his electoral victory and assured that his administration would consolidate on Wike’s New Rivers Vision.
“We are going to work with everybody who believes in the New Rivers Vision to continue to build better lives, good services, protection of the dignity of every Rivers man and woman, protection of the integrity of this state in all phases and to make sure that we continue to defend our party in this state.
“Our vision is simple, it is anchored on the New Rivers Vision. We are to continue, to improve and to develop more on it. I want to thank the leadership of the party and the good people of Rivers State who believed in the New Rivers vision and ensured that the vision is the right vision. On the 18th of March, 2023, they supported us, they came out in their large numbers and voted for the unity and progress of this State”.
The governor-elect assured the people of Rivers State and the leadership of the PDP that his administration would not disappoint them.
“We give God all the glory and our foundation has always been God, and we believe He is going to give us the wisdom to carry this crown, its a big one. My principal will be leaving a very big shoe, I will need a lot of stockings so my leg can fit in properly.
“So, I need to start working on it. I need all of you to continue to support us, for us to achieve and maintain the standard that the governor has already laid and established for us”, he said.
News
Wike Congratulates Makinde, Mohammed, Sanwo-Olu

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has congratulated Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) on their re-election.
Wike said the re-election of Makinde, Mohammed and Sanwo-Olu through free, fair and credible elections in their respective States, is indeed a triumph for Nigeria’s democracy.
“I am excited by the cheering news of the resounding re-election of governors Makinde, Mohammed and Sanwo-Olu. I am pleased to express to Your Excellencies the most sincere fraternal congratulations.
“I look forward to us consolidating the bonds of brotherhood and friendship between our States and peoples”, he said.
Wike urged the governors to use the election for their second tenure in office to continue to create a better life, and prosperity for all their peoples.
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