Florence Uwaeme
Following the now-viral pictures of a flooded Rumuoapara community secondary school in Obio Akpor local government area of Rivers state, the state commissioner for education, Professor Kaniye Ebeku has said the rumours making the rounds on social media accusing the state government of outright negligence towards its education sector is pure fallacy.
In the pictures circulating on the internet, the school is shown flooded with students making an entrance to their various classes via makeshift bridges made of wood and broken chairs.
In the statement made by the commissioner of education, he went ahead to list the amount of money that has been spent on education in 2021 alone by the state government.
He said: “The Rivers State Ministry of Education would like to disabuse the minds of the general public about news making rounds regarding the education sector in the State, suggesting and/or asserting that the State Government is not bothered about the education sector. There is nothing farther from the truth than this.
“On the contrary, the Government of Rivers State under His Excellency Nyesom Wike, is spending huge resources to provide access and quality education to the children and residents of the State. The efforts are visible for everyone to see in terms of provision of infrastructure and sponsorship of public examinations.
“In 2021 alone, over one Billion Naira has been paid to sponsor candidates in public examinations, including WAEC, NABTEB, JAMB, and NECO. No other State in the country does this. If there is any technical issue of concern, concerned or interested person’s should contact the Ministry of Education to verify before making statements that mislead the public.
“It is important to state emphatically that the Rivers State Government places great premium on education and goes to great lengths to ensure all is well in the sector. Even Federal Government Examination Agencies such NECO and JAMB are provided free office accommodation and operational vehicles.”
Professor Kaniye Ebeku implored the general public to treat contrary statements as political rhetoric.
