Amaechi’s Five Years Of Education Revolution

According to the legendary Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  While to the famous Walter Cronkite; “Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.” To Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, governing Rivers State seems like a divine mission where tomorrow does not exist. In tune with the statements credited to the above sages, Amaechi seems to be in a hurry to accomplish so many things within a short period but I will not like to bore the readers with the many projects the Governor has embarked upon as doing so will entail writing a book but I will briefly highlight the revolution witnessed by Rivers State within the five years into the tenure of this young visionary man in the area of education amongst others.

For avoidance of doubt, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotim Amaechi came into power as the Executive Governor of Rivers State on 25th October, 2007 through the instrumentality of the Supreme Court Judgement in its historic and landmark ruling that PDP illegally installed Celestine Omehia as the party’s flag-bearer during the 2007 general elections instead of the rightful candidate of the party, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.25th October, 2012 therefore marked the 5th anniversary of this historical judgement and it is in celebration of the feats of this young man in Rivers State within this period that this treatise is attempted.

The fact remains that pinning down the achievements of the Governor to one main project is like looking for a pin in a haystack, the reason being that his strides cut across all sectors. In the area of education, the Amaechi-led government on assumption of office declared state of emergency on the education sector and completely took over the payment of salaries of primary school and junior school teachers hitherto the statutary function of the Local Government to ensure that education takes its rightful place in his administration. This intervention costs the state government N800 million monthly to pay the salaries of the primary school teachers.

The government is targeting building 700 model primary schools with 500 completed each with 20 classrooms costing N3.1billion each and equipped with ICT facility, modern library, science laboratory, football field, basketball pitch, volleyball pitch and Nursery playground. These model Primary schools are built to the standard of the United Nations and obtainable in developed parts of the world.

It is also building 24 model secondary schools across the 23 local government councils in the state; well structured and fully equipped with modern day educational, recreation and boarding facilities with standard housing for teachers, these secondary schools have grossly been referred to by observers as Universities. The Governor knew what his mission is, “We knew that the problem of the state was basically education, the state of our quality of education was abysmal and we knew that the quality can only improve if we take over primary education”, the governor emphasized, as he expressed concern over what local government councils were doing with the money meant for that”.

Supporting the above assertion by the Governor that education is the problem of the State; Dr. Sampson Parker the Hon. Commissioner of Health stated when I contacted him on this that the two major areas this administration is concentrating on are health and education; “to me, I always say this, the highest achievement of this government is nothing but re-establishment of the educational system. It is not about health, it is not about anything but education. To me, if we have achieved education, we have achieved health care. My challenges in the health sector are because of the illiterate population because they hardly understand what you are saying. But, if we achieve education in the way the governor is going about it, pushing it, establishing it, making enabling laws to protect it for sustainability, I think the people that will come after us will benefit from it”.

The government is currently running free primary education with free books and uniform, provisions of library and internet facilities for the primary schools. The government has acquired 150 hectres of land to relocate the premier University of Technology in Nigeria; the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), to a bigger and better permanent site. The new site is expected to have facilities that will accommodate no fewer than 50,000 students. The Rivers State Government has been adjudged the best performing state in the Education sector within the South-South zone. In recognition of this the Federal Ministry of Education has rewarded the state with the sum of N70 million for its performance. Due Process procedure has been complied with in respect to the furnishing of the model primary schools as well as completed Health Centres, noting that they would be furnished soon.

Apart from the areas mentioned above, the Governor stated that the Rivers State Government under his watch apart from retraining its Teachers has employed more teachers to teach in the new model schools. The process of employing extra 13,000 Teachers from the 20,000 shortlisted for interview out of the over 45,000 teachers that applied will soon be concluded. The State he said has offered scholarships to over 2,000 students in Nigerian Higher Institutions and has spent about N5bn for her students in foreign Intuitions. The State is building a world Class University which when completed will turn out well equipped graduates that will hold their own in any field and compete with the best in the world.

In Rivers State University of Science and Technology the Rivers State Government is building a hostel that will accommodate about 6, 000 students and accommodation for all the Lecturers of the university. The university according to him will be fully ICT compliant.  He stated plans to buy a computer for every student in the secondary schools to ensure that the state is ICT compliant. It’s important to point out here that the Rivers State Government is among the few States in Nigeria that offer free education and free health delivery to its people but stands apart as the only State offering free education, free sandals, free books and free uniform in Nigeria. About 500 new primaries schools have been built in 350 communities across the State, a feat that no other state in Africa is yet to accomplish.

According to the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, his administration would sanitise the state’s education sector to ensure production of quality graduates. He also reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to fully support all state-owned academic institutions to provide quality education. Amaechi made the disclosure at the 24th Convocation Ceremony of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RUST), Port Harcourt recently.

He said his administration would continue to strive to provide a conducive atmosphere that will enhance academic excellence; “Let me reiterate the commitment of the Rivers State Government to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment in the face of competing needs, but in return, government would expect the highest teaching standards and vigorous research that are the hallmarks of great institutions. We reassure you of our determination to sanitise our educational sector and make our institutions of learning world class and envy of all,” he said.

The Governor after commending Prof B.B. Fakae, promised to ensure the Senate building of the University; “We must commend the university and commitment of the management, faculty and students of this university, especially the resolute and visionary leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. B. B. Fakae who not only broke the jinx of non accreditation of courses in the university but was also able to clear the backlog of students that needed to graduate,”.

To further strengthen and ensure qualitative education in the State, the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has signed into law five new bills brought for his assent by the state House of Assembly that includes the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Amendment Bill 2012, the Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools’ Board Bill 2012.

Eze resides in Port Harcourt.

To be cont’d