16th August, 2022
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Rivers State Government has banned the use government owned school buildings and other facilities by individuals and organisations without approvals from the Ministry of Education.
The decision was announced on Tuesday by Commissioner for Education Prof. Prince Ch Mmom at a meeting with Principals at Government Girls Secondary School Rumuokwuta, Por Harcourt.
He said henceforth any approval for the use of Government owned school facilities must come from him.
The Commissioner warned Principals and Head Teachers that the directive must strictly be adhered to, and those who flaunt the directive stand the risk of losing their jobs.
In his words “Any body who wants to use any government facility under your care should apply to the Commissioner for Education through the Chairman of the Senior Secondary Schools Board or the Chairman of UBE Board to the principal who will make recommendations to the board and the board to me for approval”.
According to the commissioner, the governor has on several occasions paid unscheduled visits to some schools and has observed with dismay that some Principals let out School facilities under their care to groups who vandalize and steal items from the schools hence this directive.
He also declared that in a school that has Junior and Senior secondary schools, the principal of the Senior secondary is the head and overall Boss of the school.
The Commissioner, however, said the principal of the junior secondary should work with the principal of the Senior secondary for the progress of their school while charging them to stop the battle of ‘who is in charge’ presently going on in some schools.
He further threatened that if for any reason he discovers any conflict between Principals on who is in charge, he will transfer the Principals involved.