Why I Shut Nne Kurubo School -CEO …RSG Kicks

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ambassador Nne Kurubo Model Secondary School, Ebubu, Mr S. V Hegdekatte, says the school was shut because the Rivers State Government owed him about N500million.
Hegdekatte, who is also the CEO of Africa Educom Globaly said during a familiarization visit by the Commissioner for Education, Prof Kaniye Ebeku on the school in Eleme Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, “the school, which commenced in 2013, was shut in 2015 after the state government refused to pay me N500 million they owed me”.
When contacted, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dr Patricia Ogbonaya confirmed that the school was shut in 2015 but quickly added that was after the state government had paid the managers N200million of the N500 million owed by the pervious administration.
She further explained that the Rivers State Government had requested Hegdekatte to furnish the ministry with an inventory of what is in the school and sign an agreement that the school will be re-opened when the balance of N300million was paid, considering that he closed the school after the first N200 million was paid under the present government.
According to the Permanent Secretary, Hegdekatte had refused to adhere to the  presentation of the inventory and signing of the agreement.
‘It was after the state government released the sum of N200million two weeks later that he closed the school”, she said.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary explained that Hegdekatte’s contract to manage the school was to last for one year, 2013/2014, under the immediate past government.
Beyond this, she noted that the school was built by the state government and made free for Rivers students but that the present government needs to be furnished with details of the mode of operations of the school, which can only be made available by the  management of the school.
The Tide spoke to Hegdekatte who painted a helpless picture of the situation, noting that because there are  no human activities in the school, thieves broke into some of the classrooms and carted away some valuables including computers.
In response to the commissioner’s question as to whether he would be willing for the government to take over the school after paying the remaining N300million, Hegdekatte said No”.
According to him, he would prefer to go into partnership with the state government in order to maintain the standard of the school.

Sogbeba Dokubo