Desist From Giving Out School Facilities To Groups Without Approval, RSG Warns Principals

Rivers State Government has warned principals, headmasters and headmistresses of government-owned secondary and basic schools in the state to desist from the habit of giving out school premises to individuals and groups without government authorisation.
The state Commissioner for Education, Prof Prince Chinedu Mmom, who issued the warning in Port Harcourt, said principals of government-owned schools, must secure approval from the Ministry of Education before giving out any school premises for private use.
A statement signed by the Senior Information Officer, Ministry of Education, Mrs Tochi Abinye Pepple, said Mmom gave the warning, last Monday during a meeting with principals at Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, saying “henceforth, any approval for the use of government-owned school facilities must come from the commissioner”.
Mmom noted that the directive must be strictly adhered to by all principals and head teachers, warning that those who flaunt the directive stand the risk of losing their jobs.
He said, “Anybody who wants to use any government facility under your care should apply to the commissioner for education through the chairman of the Senior Secondary Schools Board or the chairman of UBE Board to the principal who will make recommendation to the board and the board to me for approval”.
According to the commissioner, “the governor has on several occasions paid unscheduled visits to some schools, and has observed with dismay that some principals let out school facilities under their care to groups who vandalise and steal items from the schools hence this directive”.
He also declared that in a school that has junior and senior secondary schools, the principal of the senior secondary was the head and overall boss of the school, adding that the principal of the junior secondary should must work with the principal of the senior secondary for the progress of their schools.
Mmom charged them to stop the battle presently going on in some schools over who was in charge.
He further threatened that if for any reason, he discovers any conflict between principals on who was in charge, he would transfer the principals involved.

By: Akujobi Amadi