From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Ministry of Education has declared that no responsible donor or agency, including the World Bank, has approached the Commissioner for Education, Kaniye Ebeku, or the government regarding any offer to give free training to the youths at the Port Harcourt Technical and Vocational Centre (PHTVC).
The rebuttal was made in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Chidi Adele, following a protest by PHTV students, led by Austin Wagor, yesterday.
Wagor had, during the protest, claimed the previous administration equipped the centre, alleging the present government told PHTVC management to source for foreign donors to run the school.
Adiele challenged any donor or agency, that had approached the Ministry of Education for such free training to come forth with evidence.
The permanent secretary described as unfortunate that Wagor could stage a phoney protest at the school.
“The so-called Wagor and his co-travellers have no colour of rights to engage in any form of protest regarding PHTVC. They are not staff of the Rivers State novernment now and at any time previously and the government owes them no obligation whatsoever.
“Contrary to what he has falsely and maliciously alleged, no responsible donor or agency, including the World Bank, has approached the commissioner for Education, or Rivers State government regarding any offer to give free training to Rivers State youths at PHTVC.
“The Ministry of Education challenges any responsible donor that had ever written or approached the ministry to offer any free training of Rivers State youths in the PHTVC to make that information public.
“The so-called Wagor and his co-travellers cannot produce any evidence to verify their bogus claims. The Ministry of Education has written to the police stating, inter alia, that the school letterhead Wagor allegedly used to write to the state police commissioner was forged and all information conveyed therein amount to giving false information to the police which is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code of Nigeria,” he said.