Igo Chinda.
RIVERS STATE 2007 – 2015:
CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI On My Mind; Reflections of His Dynamics Of Change in Rivers State. {Ep. 3}
He has a genuine and irrepressible desire for a great and totally transformed Rivers State.
As part of his desire to transform Rivers State, he embarked on the gargantuan project of revamping and transforming the educational sector on becoming a governor.
Fully furnished world class “primary” schools (350 of 500 built of targeted 750) and landscaped; equipped with functional libraries and ICT facilities (an ICT laboratory for teaching pupils ICT), science laboratory, sick bay and auditorium. With these it only became obvious that teachers had to be trained and retrained.
This therefore led to a Teacher Development Programme in partnership with the British Council and Cambridge University, in the United Kingdom. But interestingly, among the benefits to teachers and as a way of enhanced motivation (the state government having taken over the payment of their salaries from the Local Government Councils) was the fact that for the first time in the history of the state, primary school teachers were entitled to car loan and other benefits.
There are many other components of Amaechi’s vision for this sector that are too numerous to be recounted here, even as special provision was made for the education of nomadic, migrant fishermen.
ALL THESE WERE FOR FREE. THE AIM WAS FREE QUALITY EDUCATION TO THE CHILDREN POOREST OF THE POOR.
The monumental achievements in the education sector caused a stir both internationally and locally that it attracted numerous commendations and awards. Some of these include;
– First Position (Zonal) UBE Best
Performance Award 2010
– First Position (National) UBE Best
Performance Award 2010
– Good Performance Award in
Basic Education, Best in the
Federation (Nigeria) 2011
– Babs Fafunwa Education Watch
Award For Excellence 2002
– 2010 Education Watch Award For
Excellence
– 2013 Exam Ethics Marshall Most
Improved State Award
– Winner 2008 Dubai Invitation
Soccer Tournament
– 2013 Spellbound Africa Spelling
Competition
– Winner Cultural Event 2013
World Debate Competition
– Port Harcourt As World Book
Capital City For 2014 By United
Nations Educational Scientific
And Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO)
Can we as Rivers People canvass that initiatives and legacies as this should not die but improved on by successive administrations.
May God help Rivers State.
By God, Rivers State shall overcome.
– Hon Igo Chinda
