The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), Sam Ogeh.
Ogeh explained that the governor’s directive is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the quality of education and ensure adequate staffing in primary and junior secondary schools.
“In fulfilment of his promise to bridge the manpower gap in public schools across Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the appointment of new teachers across the state. As part of this initiative, His Excellency has directed the revalidation of the 1,000 teachers recruited in 2023,” Ogeh said.
He added that all affected teachers are expected to report to the RSUBEB State Office at Elechi Beach, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday for the revalidation exercise.
The directive comes barely 24 hours after the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly publicly criticised the governor for what lawmakers described as the administration’s neglect of public schools.
The Assembly, during deliberations on an investigative report presented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Aforji Igwe, accused the executive arm of failing to employ more teachers and ignoring worsening infrastructure in government-owned schools.
Igwe, who had inspected Township State School 1 and 2 along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, reported severe infrastructural decay, prompting heated debate among lawmakers.
Speaker Martin Amaewhule faulted the government for not using the more than N600 billion allegedly left behind by former military administrator Rear Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas (retd.) to fix dilapidated schools. He highlighted cases of teachers handling two different classes simultaneously, schools lacking toilets and others without electricity.
Responding to the criticisms, Governor Fubara clarified that the infrastructural rot in schools predates his administration. He also pointed to the six-month emergency rule earlier imposed in the state as a major factor that slowed down ongoing repair efforts.
Fubara assured that his administration remains committed to restoring the education sector, especially through the recruitment of more teachers and healthcare workers. He emphasized that employment will not be influenced by political loyalty or patronage.
The revalidation of the 1,000 teachers is expected to kick-start a broader overhaul aimed at strengthening teaching capacity across Rivers State.
