From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Ministry of Education has said that no responsible donor or agency, including the World Bank, has approached the Commissioner for Education, Professor Kaniye Ebeku, or the government regarding any offer to give free training to Rivers State youths at the Port Harcourt Technical and Vocational Centre (PHTVC).
The denial was made in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Chidi Adele, following a protest by acclaimed students of PHTVC led by Austin Wagor, yesterday.
Wagor had during the protest claimed that 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, who had approached the Ministry of Education for such free training to come forth with evidence in that regard.
The Permanent Secretary described as unfortunate that Wagor could stage a phoney protest at the school describing him as an ‘irritant and criminal element’.
‘The so-called Austin and his co-travellers have no colour of rights to engage in any form of protest regarding the Port Harcourt Technical and Vocational Centre (PHTVC). They are not staff of the Rivers State Government now and at any time previously and the government owes them no obligation whatsoever,’ he stated.
‘Contrary to what he has falsely and maliciously alleged, no responsible donor or agency, including the World Bank, has approached the Honourable Commissioner for Education, or the Government of Rivers State regarding any offer to give free training to Rivers State Youths at the PHTVC.
‘The Ministry of Education challenges any responsible donor who had ever written or approached the Ministry of Education to offer any free training of Rivers State youths in the PHTVC to make that information public.
‘The so-called Austin is a known thief whose only intention is to gain free access to the school in order to continue stealing the movable facilities there, and his inability to achieve that anymore accounts for his public display of madness in the name of protest;
‘The so-called Austin 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 Austin 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 called on the police to conduct proper investigations into the matter, noting that the state government is doing a lot in the education sector and deserves the commendation of all.
Adiele assured that the state government and the Ministry of Education will continue to do all that is necessary to educate the Rivers youths in all ramifications.
He advised: ‘In view of the foregoing, the general public is advised to ignore the deliberate misinformation coming from the stark illiterate and criminal element called Austin and his co-travellers who have been parading themselves for a while now as staff of the PHTVC.’