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WE’LL RESTORE GLORY OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FUBARA ASSURES PARENTS
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will transform the educational system in the state to ensure that parents bring back their children and wards from private to public schools.
Accordingly, the school supervision is to be strengthened to make public schools shining model to achieve desired goals.
Governor Fubara disclosed this while addressing members of the Rivers State Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA) for All Government Schools during a solidarity visit at Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nweake, Governor Fubara noted government’s plans to give public schools a facelift both in terms of infrastructure and content development.
The Governor pointed out that government efforts were aimed at reducing the burden on parents who spent greater percentage of their meager salaries for school fees with a view to making life better for their children.
He said, “We are going to transform the school system in Rivers State. The school supervision is also going to be made stronger.
“Many people are forced to take their children to private schools. We will make our schools to be models whereby there will be an osmotic movement from the private schools back to the public schools.
“Many people, the minimum wage is not enough for them, because they have to pay for private schools’ fees. But when we rebuild government schools in terms of infrastructure, and more importantly the content, people will come back from the private schools.
“When that happens, parents will have less to pay, cost of living will become lower and standard of living will become higher and better economy for us,” he noted.
Governor Fubara also frowned at a situation where parents go to schools to harass teachers who discipline their children and wards, saying his administration will not tolerate such negative trend.
The Governor, therefore, sued for symbiotic relationship between parents and teachers to ensure that parents give teachers the needed support to teach their children properly, while teachers in turn, see their pupils as their own children.
He said, “Government is deserious to turn around the fortunes of our schools. Parents, please allow your children to be taught. I hear that some parents go to schools to molest teachers. This administration will not tolerate that. We cannot, in any way, condone indiscipline.
“When you remove discipline from a child’s upbringing, that child cannot be well brought up. So, when you bring your children to school, allow them to be taught.
“And to you teachers, when parents also bring their children, treat them like your children. There should not be any difference between your biological children and other children,” he emphasised.
While maintaining that the state government had carried teachers along, unlike previous administration, which denied them promotion and failed to assist in the building of their Secretariat, Governor Fubara, admonished parents and teachers to join hands with government to turn around the school system.
He said, “The Government has done much for teachers. All the teachers are civil servants, and I am the Head of Service. I can say authoritatively that all of us received a N100,000.00 each in December, 2023, in addition to our salaries.
“Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) is the body that manages all the teachers in the state. They have a structure they are building somewhere which had stayed there for many years. As we speak, the sum of N250million has been released to finish that building.
“Before now, the previous administration did not care much about what happens in schools. Teachers were using their money to run schools. It’s no longer so now. Money has been released to the Senior Secondary Schools Board to purchase instructional and educational materials which they will use.
“Teachers, you were not promoted for many years. This Governor came and you were promoted and also paid arrears. To him that much has been given, they say, much is also expected. Let every teacher sit up now. Let every parent try as much as possible to cooperate so that we can achieve set goals,” he said.
Governor Fubara assured that with the rightful support and every person doing his or her own part, the government will hand over to our children a state that is better than what it met.
Presenting the address of members of the Parents Teachers’ Association for All Government Schools, the State Chairman, Comrade Boma Watson Allison, said the solidarity visit was to congratulate the Governor for his lofty achievements, people-centric programmes and policies in his first year in office.
Comrade Allison, who listed the Andoni section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road, Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road, the Trans-Kalabari Road, Eleme-Old Bori Road, and rehabilitation of RTC as part of the Governor’s achievements, pledged their loyalty and unflinching support to the administration.
He, however, drew the attention of the Governor to some pressing needs of the PTA, including recruitment of teachers, payment of imprest to principals and head teachers, rehabilitation and infrastructural development of schools, and appealed to him to look into the issues with a view to solving them.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.