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13,000 Teachers Job: Amaechi Orders Immediate Engagement …Slams School Heads …Fresh Teachers Audits, Transfer Soon
In fulfilment of his quest to boost manpower in Rivers State education sector, Governor Chibuike Amaechi has ordered the state Ministry of Education to issue employment letters to those who have scaled through the 13,000 teachers recruitment exercise.
Amaechi issued the directive at the 3rd State Education Summit held last Monday in Port Harcourt, saying that already the government had put the necessary platform to ensure quality and efficiency in the sector.
He noted that the recently established Education Quality Assurance Agency would ensure regular supervision and set standards.
The governor, however, condemned the politicisation of education, saying, “we should not politicise education. There is no room for politisation of education. Nothing like, see what I have achieved; I have built 500 schools, clap for me, give me more votes; that is not what education is all about. It is not a thing that anybody should gain votes from. It is a thing that is the right of every Nigerian’’.
Primary education remains the foundation for good education, he said, explaining that his administration had redesigned primary education with appropriate curriculum content and qualified teachers to deliver the best.
However, responding to some of the presentations at the event, Amaechi defended government policies, especially in promoting the free education scheme.
Amaechi asserted that the new model schools were for the rich and the poor, adding that his background spurred him to pursue free education even at government expense to ensure that every citizen has equal opportunities.
He used the forum to explain why most of the new schools were contracted to be managed by foreign firms because of inefficiency by the local managers.
Defending the decline in school enrolment in some bigger schools, Amaechi said that was the result of locating the new model schools mostly in the congested areas.
“Government policy is to build schools near to these areas to reduce pressure and we provide free education in all the schools”, he said.
On how the schools would be sustained, he said, “we will put a law in place and collect more taxes since most Nigerians do not want to fund education”.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the 3rd Education Forum and Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has attributed the rot in Nigerian universities to poor primary education.
Said Soyinka, “If you don’t have a good university for learning, it doesn’t have idea of what brilliant professors in the world, if the atmosphere is rotten, you will just produce animals from universities and that is why I am very happy to be here to be part of any effort at all to resuscitate what our universities are and what they should be.’’
Keynote speaker, Prof. Ayo Banjo corroborated Soyinka’s views, and called for effective supervision and constant retraining and good salary package for teachers.
In her address earlier, Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Nemi had noted that the summit, was the third, and was aimed at proffering measures to strengthen the reforms so far implemented by the state government.
In another development, the Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi has in Port Harcourt accused the managements of schools of derailing the progress of public schools in the state.
Amaechi said that headmasters, teachers and auxiliary staff were ruining the state government’s effort in the development of primary and secondary education.
The governor spoke at a two-day education conference, entitled, “Enhancing Sustainable Development in Education’’.
He said that the state government had established primary and secondary schools equipped with modern facilities across the state.
Amaechi said the government had stopped payment of tuition fees by pupils and provided books, sandals and bags for school children as part of efforts to provide free education in the state.
He said headmasters and teachers were in the habit of collecting tuition and examination fees from pupils after government ordered a stop to such payments.
“Rivers Government will not politicise education and will never tolerate any person or group, who is working contrary to our efforts of providing free education to every child in the state.
“As part of our commitment towards improving education in the state; henceforth any teacher who indulges in business activities in place of teaching pupils will be severely sanctioned,” the governor warned.
He said that the state government had set up a quality assurance unit charged with the responsibility of monitoring and inspecting primary and secondary schools in the state.
The governor expressed optimism that the quality assurance law would reduce corruption and teachers’ negligence to duty in primary and secondary schools in the state.
He called on the participants to deliberate on issues that would help government produce better policies that would improve education.
In his remark, Prof. Wole Soyinka, a Noble Laureate, acknowledged a slight improvement in the country’s education sector but called for drastic measures to revolutionise it to compete favourably with standards in other countries.
Soyinka said that inadequate funding of universities was negatively affecting programmes in producing quality graduates in the country.
“It doesn’t matter if you have brilliant professors in universities because if the environment is not conducive for learning we will continue to produce uneducated graduates,” he cautioned.
Soyinka said that the conference provided an opportunity for experts in the education sector to produce recommendations aimed toward improving educational standard in the country.
Meanwhile, The Rivers State Government will carry out a recertification and redistribution of teachers once it concludes the recruitment of new 13,000 teachers next month.
Chief Executive Officer and Director of the newly established Rivers State Education Quality Assurance Agency, Prof. Okorosaye Orubite gave the hint while presenting a paper,”Education in Rivers State 2008-2013: An Overview ,’’ at the just concluded 3rd Rivers Education Summit held yesterday in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The plan was further endorsed by stakeholders in a communique at the end of the summit.
Prof. Orubite submitted that the redistribution of teachers will commence once the new teachers have been absorbed, “there will be redistribution in terms of numbers and subjects’’ he said.
Explaining the essence of the exercise he stated that studies have revealed that there is imbalance of teachers ratio in the urban centres to the rural areas, hence the exercise is geared at balancing the equation and also ensuring quality teaching staff.
He also hinted on the re-introduction of transfer certificates, pointing out that the current situation does not allow for adequate record keeping in schools
Consequently, stakeholders have advocated for the review of curricullum of the two tertiary institutions namely Rivers State University of Science and Technology and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in tandem with the new policy on education.
The curricullum they stressed should be in line with the one prescribed by the Nigerian Education Research and Development Commission(NERDC), further calling for the incorporation of faith- based organisations in the orientation of students.
In a communique released and read by the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Nemi after the two-day summit, the participants rooted for an educational sector that provides for those with special needs by giving opportunities to all irrespective of class or background.
They also advocated for the eradication of all forms of learning disparities based on gender or class adding, “ the summit is to review what has been happening in the sector since 2008, and to find ways of sustaining and consolidating these achievements so far, as well as expanding areas not yet covered.’’
L-R: Rivers State Deputy Governor, Engr Tele Ikuru, Governor Chibuike Amaechi, Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia, during the Education Summit in Port Harcourt, yesterday
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DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.