• Primary health care system not functional, governor insists
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has raised the alarm that 75 per cent of primary schools do not have teachers, while 90 per cent are dilapidated.
Sir Fubara, who described the condition of primary schools as troubling, said his administration was focused on turning around the fortunes of education, health and agriculture.
The governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, said he became aware of the deplorable state of the primary schools when a firm, New Global, visited the state for partnership.
He said the firm came to partner his administration to enhance the capacity of teachers, but he asked them to perform field assessment of the personnel that they intended to train.
Fubara said the report from the field was very disappointing because the firm did not find the number of teachers to undergo the training for the benefit of Rivers’ children.
The governor emphasised the crucial place primary school system occupied in the educational journey of any child in shaping the character, instilling essential skills and fostering quest for learning, saying it was ignored in the past.
Fubara said his administration had its focus on education, health and agriculture sectors to change the ills identified in the system.
He said: “It will surprise you to note that an agency came to Rivers State. They call them ‘New Global’, and they were willing to spend $5million. It is not for infrastructure, but to train our teachers, to provide software and other things to improve the learning process at the primary school level.
“I told them to go round and assess primary schools in the state. After their assessment, you won’t believe it that 75 per cent of our primary schools have no teachers. Ninety per cent of the schools are dilapidated.
“So, how will you now put in the $5million? So, when I said education, I really mean education. It’s not education where we renovate schools and call people for inauguration.
“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 preparing our youths as the leaders of tomorrow, then, we have lost it.”
The governor noted that tertiary health institutions were overstretched because the primary and secondary health facilities were not functional.
He said in the coming days, the five zonal hospitals would be revisited so that they could become operational to expand health care services available to the people.
He said: “The only health facilities that are functional in this State are Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), and maybe, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
“The other aspects of the health care system that should be functioning are the primary and secondary health care. We have to do everything within our power to make sure they function.
“Now, you see, there is so much pressure because the primary health care centres have a limit of what they can attend to. So, the pressure is always with the tertiary institutions, what you call the teaching hospitals.
“We have already taken it upon ourselves, by the special grace of God, in the next one or two weeks, we are going to make sure we revisit the five zonal hospitals in the state to make sure they function.
“Now, when they function, they will give support to the primary health care centres. A lot of people die because of minor illnesses and unavailability of health centres, not well-equipped with qualified personnel. So, we know it is important.
“It might not be something people are seeing, but those are the key things to development and the things that people need, and to prove that, yes, we have a functional government”.
Fubara said there was already so much work ongoing to revamp some agricultural facilities, and make the sector attractive in order to guarantee food sufficiency and create employment for youths.
He said: “You already know what we are doing and what we are trying to do in the aspect of agriculture. God being on our side, it will work and work well for everyone of us”.
On reviving moribund state-owned industries, the governor said: “We know that the only way we can combat crime is to provide employment. I don’t think any criminal feels happy when he is enjoying his money. This is because he does so in hiding. He does it with fear.
“When you have a legitimate means of livelihood, even if it’s N10,000 that you are making, you enjoy it happily without fear. I know a lot of people want that.
“We will visit those areas to see what we can get out of it so that employment will be, at least, more for those our unemployed youths who by virtue of having nothing to do, end up resorting to crime as the only way out.”
Acknowledging their feat in successful completion of the Ramadan fasting, the governor thanked the Muslim community for their prayers and support to his administration.
He noted with delight their efforts at coordinating, mediating and ensuring a reduction to the minimum, incidence of farmers-herders’ clash in the state.
He said his administration would continue to create an enabling environment for them to practise their faith and other endeavours that positively impact on the development of the state, while promoting peace.
The leader of the delegation and Vice-President-General, Rivers State Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Awhelebe Uhor, thanked Fubara for his financial support that enabled them to participate in Hajj last year, “and his inclusive policy that has given the community a sense of belonging.”
Alhaji Uhor, who said the Muslim community would not relent in partnering the governor and his administration, emphasised that they were behind him and approved of his people-oriented policies and programmes.
