Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara has lamented that 75 per cent of primary schools in the state do not have teachers, while 90 per cent are dilapidated.
The governor, who disclosed this in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, described the deplorable state of the schools as troubling.
He explained that the issue came to limelight after a field assessment of the personnel in the schools by a firm, New Global, that wanted to partner with the state on enhancement of school teachers’ capacity.
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The governor noted that the report from the field was very disappointing because the firm did not find the number of teachers needed for the training.
“It will surprise you to note that an agency came to Rivers State. They call them ‘New Global’, and they were willing to spend $5m. It is not for infrastructure but to train our teachers, to provide software and other things to improve the learning process at the primary level.
“I told them to go round and assess the primary schools in the state. After their assessment, you won’t believe it that 75 per cent of our primary schools have no teachers. 90 per cent of the schools are dilapidated.
“So, how will you now put in the $5m? So, when I say education, I really mean education. It’s not education where we renovate schools and call people for commissioning.
“We are talking about touching what is important, because, for us to develop as a society, for us to get it right from the foundation, it is at the primary school level.
“If we don’t have that aspect right as a foundation to prepare our youths as the leaders of tomorrow, then, we have lost it,” he added.
Fubara, however, stated that his administration was focused on turning around the fortunes of education, health, and agriculture in the state.
On the issue of the tertiary health institutions in the state, Fubara stated that they were overstretched because the primary and secondary health facilities were not functional.
He disclosed that in the coming days, the five zonal hospitals would be revisited so that they could become operational to expand healthcare services available to the people.
“The only health facilities that are functional in this State are the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), and maybe, the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
“The other aspects of the healthcare system that should be functioning are the primary and secondary healthcare. We have to do everything that is within our power to make sure that they function,” he said.
Fubara further stated that plans are already on the ground to revamp some agricultural facilities and make the sector attractive in order to guarantee food sufficiency and create employment for the youths.