Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State says improving the poor state of education in the state is a top priority of his administration, announcing that the sector will receive the largest allocation in the 2026 budget.
The governor made this disclosure on Monday, while declaring open the 123/124 combined quarterly meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt.
Fubara admitted that many schools across the state are in bad shape, but stressed that the decay did not happen overnight.
He maintained that the deterioration predated his government and was one of the major issues used by opponents during the 2023 election campaigns.
According to the governor, his team is working strategically to reverse the decline, noting that his background in public administration guides his approach to planning and reform.
Speaking on healthcare, Governor Fubara pointed to the ongoing upgrade of zonal hospitals and other interventions in the healthcare workers’ welfare as evidence of improved service delivery in the sector.
On employment, he stated that the government remains committed to creating jobs but insisted that recruitment, including the anticipated 10,000 openings, will be based on the needs of the state, assuring that the exercise will not be politicised.
The meeting on meeting, which was the 3rd and 4th combined session of the year and the fourth since he assumed office, also provided an opportunity for Governor Fubara to commend traditional rulers for their role in resolving the political impasse that once threatened stability in the state.
“Their intervention helped maintain peace in their domains, contributing to the largely calm atmosphere currently enjoyed,” he said.