Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured of his administration’s commitment to give civil servants their rightful place to strengthen the service for the growth and optimum productivity in the State.
This, according to him, stems from the fact that his administration understands and appreciates the plight of both civil and public servants in the State.
Fubara gave the assurance while addressing members of the Forum of Rivers State Government Teachers with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), who were on a peaceful appeal-walk to Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday, to solicit their transfer from public primary and secondary schools to tertiary institutions in the State.
Represented by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, Governor Fubara, assured that his government would give proper attention to the issue, bearing in mind the cardinal objectives of the administration to always do what is right and proper in all circumstances to bring the best result to Rivers people.
According to him, “I think basically, the issue here is PhD holders who are under the employment of the State that are craving for proper placement. You are already Rivers State Government workers, but you have read to the level where you need to be promoted and actually, it is the desire of everybody.
“You must understand that our present Governor, given his background as a technocrat and civil servant, understands and appreciates the plight of civil and public servants in the State.
“When it comes to workers’ issue, we don’t advise him, he will rather advise us; and that is how it is because he went through it from the beginning of his days as a young graduate. He was also a teacher before he transferred to the mainstream civil service.
“So, he truly understands your plight. He is a man that in everything he does, he tries to look at what is right in the circumstances; what is proper in the circumstances; and what will bring the best benefit to Rivers State. So, your case can never be different.”
The governor also dismissed insinuations that Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Rivers State was a scam, urging the younger generation aspiring to acquire education to that level never to have that conception, as such narrative will never be associated with his administration.
He said, “When your forum coordinator spoke, he said that in Rivers State, PhD is a scam. PhD can never be a scam. Let the younger ones that are aspiring to get their PhD never get the feelings that PhD is a scam.
“What is a scam is the PhDs procured from Ariaria Market here and there. Those are the ones that you can say are a scam. If you genuinely studied for and got your PhD, nobody can actually take it away from you, because the human development you acquired in itself, by the grace of God, can take you to the zenith of whatever is your ambition in life.
“So, I want to assure you that, that narrative that PhD is a scam, this government will never allow it to happen.”
Fubara, however, advised them to prepare their minds towards screening in the eventuality of any action that would be taken to address the issue, which is the proper thing to be done.
He stressed, “But, one thing you must also understand, when it is time for employment in the tertiary institutions, you must submit yourself for screening, because these days, a lot of people who claim to have PhD, sometimes disgrace the PhD itself.
“So, that is why for every employment or transfer, you must subject yourself to proper screening, so that they will know that truly, your PhD is worth the paper, and you deserve to be properly placed as you ought to.
“I recall last time when some of you had this kind of issue, they were teaching in secondary schools. They have now read up to PhD level and they want to move to the higher institutions.
“Also, some of them who got employment even in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and they were cut up in this problem we had in the institution. Then, they tried to come back to where they were, they were also having problem. His Excellency had to direct the board to properly look at it and report back to him. So, be assured yours will also be looked into.”
Earlier in his address, the Coordinator, Forum of Rivers State Government Teachers with PhD, Dr Thompson Ofuru, had said the peaceful Appeal-Walk was to solicit and appeal to the governor to use his good offices to transfer their services from public primary and secondary schools to any of the state-owned tertiary institutions.
He said, “Sir, our peaceful appeal-walk to you today is an offshoot of all our frantic efforts made to seek your attention and interface with you one-on-one that yielded no result.
“The transfer is to enable us maximize our research potentials, have job satisfaction, and also, to give back to the society in line with the 21st Century advocate.”
Dr. Ofuru, however, expressed gratitude to the governor for the N100,000 Christmas bonus to all civil servants in the state, of which they were beneficiaries.