We’ll revamp famous secondary schools –Wike

Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has reiterated commitment to upgrade facilities in schools that have contributed in moulding prominent personalities and made the state famous, educationally.

Governor Wike gave the assurance yesterday, after inspecting the progress of rehabilitation work at Government Comprehensive Secondary School and Enitonia High School in Borikiri town in the Port Harcourt Local Government Area of the state.

He expressed sadness over wastage of funds by  the previous administration in building new schools far away from where large number of people reside and abandoned structures of the old school.

He said if proper attention had been given to schools, which are located within densely populate areas, they would have continued to produce renowned personalities as in the past to the benefit of the state.

Wike said: “I feel so sad that these schools are in such bad state. They are schools that have made the state pride. I don’t know why government will continue to build new schools instead of putting the old schools in a position where they can be very conducive for students.

“You know those who have made names in Port Harcourt; some of them attended these old schools. I have promised we will do all we can to bring back the schools to what they used to be.

“I have rescheduled another meeting with the old students of the Government Comprehensive Secondary School, led by their Chairman, Noble Abbey, to see what other things we will add to the ongoing rehabilitation. But, the landscaping is a top priority to us.

“I won’t allow the schools to die. We must continue to retain the name. We will also look at the schools that missionaries have taken over like the Okrika Grammar Schools. We will invite the missionaries to discuss the modalities,” he said.