RSG Recommits To Quality Education …As Wike Flags Off 175 Public Schools Reconstruction

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has flagged off the reconstruction and furnishing of 175 basic public schools across the 23 local government areas, with a commitment to ensure quality education at all levels in the state.
The Tide gathered that the 175 basic schools have been in deplorable condition over the years, thereby making teaching and learning difficult.
It was to address this quagmire that the governor said while performing the flag off of the reconstruction of the schools, last Thursday, at the State School, Rebisi in Port Harcourt that the NEW Vision administration has invested heavily in the education sector with a view to repositioning the schools for excellence.
Wike lamented that nobody would believe the immediate past administration left schools to decay to this level.
The governor carpeted the immediate past administration for the decay in the infrastructure and equipment in schools, and wondered how so much fund was expended in building new schools without recourse to improving the old ones.
He said that when his administration took over, the former administration did not access UBEC funds, pointing out that the state government accessed the funds for the re-positioning of basic schools in the state.
According to him, after paying the counterpart fund, the state now has N5.6billion to address the infrastructural challenges of selected basic schools.
“The entire world should see that a school like this exists in Port Harcourt. Imagine the condition of schools in the rural areas. Just imagine that the past administration claimed that they revolutionised education. All they did was to construct a few schools by the roadside.
“The funds for the reconstruction and furnishing of these schools have been set aside. Therefore, funding will not be an issue. I direct that payment should be done by milestone. The contractors should be paid based on the work they do. There should be nothing like variation”, Wike warned.
The governor directed that the reconstruction should be holistic to improve teaching and learning in all the schools.
Wike noted that his administration has awarded contracts for the equipping of laboratories of selected secondary schools and re-stocking of libraries.
He said: “While the immediate past administration used over N4billion to build one school, we are using slightly above N1billion to build one school. This is a prudent administration”.
In his remarks, Executive Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, Ven Fyneface Akah, said the reconstruction was being done through the Federal Government Universal Basic Education Commission/Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board 2014-2016 Intervention Projects for Rivers State.
He said: “One great benefit today’s event holds for education, and indeed for all of us, is that it offers a time for common reflection on the very needful and yet neglected aspect of educational organisation which hitherto was a prime place.
“We appeal to community and local government leadership in the state to realise that we now live in a time when all must respond to the invitation to stand with the state government to own and ensure security of school staff and facilities provided by government for use in our various communities”, Akah added.
Akah emphasised that the utilization of the counterpart funding by the state government has demonstrated the governor’s resolve to bring his experience to bear as ex-minister of education.
While explaining the scope of work, Director of Planning and Research in UBEC, said the project will cover 92 schools for total reconstruction, while about 82 schools will be renovated.
In addition, he stated that the project will cover standby generator for power supply, boreholes, and new office furniture and equipment for school heads across the selected schools.
Others include sports equipment/facilities, information and communication equipment, conveniences, new furniture for teaching staff offices and table0top fridges for head-teacher offices.