The Rivers State Ministry of Education is now entangled in financial scam. Information reaching our crime desk had it that some staff of the Ministry had embezzled the fund meant for the training of no fewer than twenty-eight (28) youths in the German Chamber of Crafts in Germany.
According to reliable source the fund embezzled amount to over four hundred and twenty-six million, seventy thousand and four hundred naira (N426,070,400).
The source hinted this weekly that, the said amount which was approved by the government was to cover the school fees and other miscellaneous expenses for the three (3) years course for the youths while undergoing the training in Germany.
The source further told our crime correspondent that the fund was allegedly diverted and the youths were forced to undertake only three (3) weeks “train the trainers course” in Germany.
Information had it that the youths who have airlifted November 26th, 2013 returned home on December 19, 2013.
Some of the youths who spoke with our correspondent alleged that during their stay in Germany, the State Government under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi abandoned them. The youths lamented that why they were far away Germany, the State Government through its Ministry of Education advertised them widely in various television and radio stations. They observed that the state Government used them as promoters of fraud and later dumped them without any benefit.
According to them, they spent huge sum of their personal income to purchase personal requirements without any traveling allowance from the government.
They told this weekly that the main purpose of the Government to send them to the German Chamber of Crafts, Germany was to acquire all necessary technical skills as to transfer the same knowledge and skills to students that will attend the Port Harcourt Technical Vocational Centre (PHTVC), Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
They wondered how could someone acquires technical skills within three (3) weeks.
The youths described the situation as “pathetic” saying that it was the worst oversea vocational training programme since the creation of Rivers State.
“It shows openly how disregard and disgrace by Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s government to the entire Rivers youth”, they asserted.
They frowned at the attitude of the state Government in running the affairs of the PHTVC. The youths lampooned the State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Nemi Lawrence for employing two (2) Germans in the centre that could not communicate fluently in English Language.
The youths further alleged that after training twenty-eight (28) of them for their (3) weeks in Germany only eight (8) were employed.
What kind of wickedness is this? they asked, regretting that most of them are now jobless and passing through excruciating pains because they are unable to take care of their families.
All efforts to contact the State Commissioner for Education, Dame Nemi Lawrence and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Barr. Minabelem Michael West proved abortive. ###
TABLE DETAILING THE COST OF GOV. ROTIMI AMAECHI’s GOVERNMENT EXCLUDING OTHER EXPENSES FOR 3 YEARS PHTVC TRAIN – THE TRAINERS PROGRAMME FOR 28 RIVERS STATE YOUTHS BUT WAS RUN FOR ONLY 3 WEEKS IN GERMANY. THE THREE (3) YEARS WAS CONVERTED TO 3 WEEKS.
