Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has approved the immediate recall and revalidation of 1,000 teachers employed in 2023, succumbing to recent pressure from the State House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule regarding the deteriorating condition of public schools.

The State Assembly had, during its plenary penultimate Thursday, expressed strong displeasure over the state of secondary and primary schools across Rivers. While Governor Fubara initially countered the lawmakers on Monday, stating that the decay in public schools did not begin with his administration, he reversed course the following day.

The directive was contained in a public announcement signed by Sam Ogeh, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB).

The notice read: “In fulfillment of his promise to bridge the manpower gap in public schools across Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, has approved the appointment of new teachers across the state. As part of this initiative, His Excellency has directed the revalidation of the 1000 teachers recruited in 2023.

To formalize the recall, all affected teachers are now required to report to the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) for the revalidation exercise, presenting their original appointment and posting letters.

The move signals a crucial step by the administration to address the manpower gap and infrastructure challenges in the state’s education sector following the Assembly’s vocal criticism.