From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Commissioner for Works, George-Kelly D. Alabo, has handed over a two-storey nursery and primary school complex he singlehandedly built and equipped to the Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Abalama in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the State.
The building has classrooms, staffrooms, conveniences, as well as multipurpose hall and other business spaces to enable the church generate revenue to maintain the edifice.
Giving his speech during the dedication church service, George-Kelly pledged to take care of the teachers’ salaries, pupils’ school fees, school bags, books, and shoes, saying he wants the school to be 100 percent free.
“Whatever I did here, I didn’t do it by my own power. I did it because God planted me as a seed here. It was God who enabled me to do this. I believe there is still so much to be done, I will continue to do what God has sent me to do.
“I see a new generation of leaders being built from this school. I see professionals, governors, and presidents being raised from this humble background. This vision is what we are here to water today.
“This school building will be useless without skilled and brilliant teachers to mould the children to be great in the future. The school building will be useless without a proper mechanism to enable the school to be run like the best schools in the city.
“This is why I have decided to sponsor the running of the school to make it 100 percent free for our children. No school fees, I will pay the teachers’ salaries. I will provide books, school bags, and shoes for the pupils.
“I want the pastor and board of the church to sit down and come up with a proper structure for the nursery and primary school that will stand the test of time, then come to me for funding. My vision is to make this school the best nursery and primary school in the LGA,” he said.
Reverend Robert Okparanta who dedicated the building said God would take George-Kelly to a greater height in his political career for investing his time and resources in charity and the advancement of the kingdom of God.
The lawmaker representing Asari-Toru Constituency 2 in Rivers State House of Assembly, Enemi Alabo George, pledged to reconstruct another old building in the premises in Januar,y 2023.
He also created a N2 million trust fund for scholarship for yearly best graduating students of the school, saying that N500,000 would be added to the trust fund annually.