In a move to improve the security of students of public secondary schools, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has directed the State Education Commissioner, Prof Kaniye Ebeku to take over houses built on school lands across the state.
Speaking after he inspected ongoing reconstruction of Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokwuta in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Wike said anyone who trespasses school land in the state will forfeit same to the state government.
He said the government will recover all public property encroached upon by illegal occupants across the state.
He said : “Building inside public schools is not right and this infringes on the security of the students. Therefore, the Commissioner for Education has been directed to immediately recover the lands and the buildings.
“You cannot erect structures on school land and expect them to stand”.
The governor also said that the phased rehabilitation and reconstruction of public secondary schools will be done on a Senatorial District basis.
He said that at present the State Government is rehabilitating Nyemoni Memorial Grammar School, Abonnema for Rivers West Senatorial District, Birabi Memorial Grammar School for Rivers South East Senatorial district, Bori and Government Girls Secondary School , Rumuokwuta for Rivers East Senatorial District.