Abolition Of Fees: Wike Releases Funding For Primary, Secondary Schools …Commissions First Set Of Rumuepirikom Internal Roads

In line with his abolition of all forms of fees and levies in public primary, junior and senior secondary schools, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has released funds for the running of the schools for the 2019/2020 academic session.
This is as the Rivers State Government has suspended the principal of Oginigba Community Secondary School, Oginigba, for the illegal collection of levies.
The funds released by the Rivers State governor would be used by the schools for registers, chalks, dusters, markers, notebooks, pens and other consumables.
In his remarks, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Mr Adonye Dagogo Hart explained that the governor has also released funds for the supervision of schools for the entire 2019/2020 academic session.
The Rivers State governor also released six Hilux vans for school supervision.
The permanent secretary said that the suspension of the principal was to serve as a deterrent to other school administrators.
It would be recalled that on 24th June, 2019, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike announced the total abolition of all forms of fees and levies in public primary and secondary schools across the state.
The governor directed state-owned primary and secondary schools to stop collecting fees and levies from students and pupils with immediate effect.
Wike stated that henceforth the state government would be sending direct allocations to all primary and secondary schools management for their operations.
He spoke during a meeting with the heads of primary and secondary schools, Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board and Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
He said: “From today, henceforth, no child either in primary and secondary schools should pay fees and levies in any school across the state.
“The monies you collect from these children are just used for your personal purposes. If I hear that any school head collects any fees or levies, be they examination, NECO or WAEC fees, that school head would be sanctioned.
“We shall not only dismiss the school head who collects fees or levies, we will prosecute the person involved.
“Government will work out grants that will be sent to the schools for their regular management and operations”.
Wike directed the state Ministry of Education, the Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board and the State Universal Basic Education Board to monitor all public schools across the state to ensure compliance.
The governor noted that his administration funds the salaries, allowances, examinations and equipment of all public schools.
He assured parents that his administration would remain committed to the provision of quality education, which is accessible to the less privileged.
“I have abolished all fees and levies and it will never happen again in our public primary and secondary schools. Nobody should collect fees and levies from the children of the less privileged”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has commissioned four roads completed as the first phase of Rumuepirikom internal roads in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Shell Location Road, one of the four roads commissioned was renamed Engineer Lawrence Anele Amadi Road by the governor.
He spoke, yesterday, at the Engineer Lawrence Anele Amadi Road.
“We flagged off the construction of these roads in 2018. This is the first phase of the internal roads of this community.
“While I remain as governor, our community will get its share of projects. This ward is the backbone of PDP in our local government area. They gave us the highest votes during the elections”, he said.
Wike thanked the people of Rumuepirikom for cooperating with the contractors during the execution of the project.
He thanked the Rimuepirikom community for the warm reception accorded to his entourage over the construction of the internal roads.
In his remarks, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Dr Walter Ndu said the Rumuepirikom internal roads have a total length of nine kilometres with street lights and modern drainage.
He said that the Rivers State governor flagged off the construction of 11 roads, with four of such roads already completed, adding that the remaining roads would be completed by December.
The first set of roads delivered under the first phase of Rumuepirikom internal roads include: Engineer Lawrence Anele Amadi Road (former Shell Location Road), Ekani Street, Maxwell Street and Odoli Street.
He said before the construction of the roads by the Wike-led administration, the roads were not accessible due to their poor condition.
Also speaking, Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Hon Solomon Eke said that roads were of international standard, adding that the LGA was working with other agencies to improve security and environmental sanitation along the new roads.
Different women groups and the Owembe Cultural Troupe thrilled guests at the commissioning ceremony.