Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has directed his Commissioner for Education, Dr Gentle Emelah, to take immediate steps to address dilapidated school infrastructure across the state.

Diri, who paid an unscheduled visit to some public schools on Tuesday, expressed displeasure at the state of the facilities at the Saint Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata-Yenagoa, and the Ijaw National Academy, Kaiama in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.

He said the government’s budgetary provisions and expenditure in the education sector do not match the reality on the ground.

Diri stated this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah.

Recall that there have been outcries in some rural communities, particularly in Ekeremor Local Government Area about poor school infrastructure and the absence of teachers.

Speaking at the Ijaw National Academy, the governor noted the absence of sporting facilities as well as the uncompleted dining hall and directed the commissioner to ensure that the contractor returned to the site.

He restated the commitment of his administration to the development of the education sector, given its importance to nation-building.

Diri said he will undertake more unscheduled visits to schools and other government departments to see things for himself and called on relevant officials to take more seriously the maintenance of public facilities.

He said with the progress made by the state in external examinations such as the West African School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council, it was necessary to put the right facilities in place to enable the students to perform better.

He said, “I have been to Saint Jude’s, and I am here at the Ijaw National Academy. I am not satisfied with what I have seen.

“If schools that are in the urban, motorable areas are in this state, what would those in the rural, riverine communities be like?

“In this second tenure, I will pay unscheduled visits to our schools, hospitals and other important government agencies.

“Students are very important. I am not happy with the state of dilapidation I saw at St Jude’s. We must strengthen supervision.

“I have directed the Commissioner for Education to ensure that your school is rehabilitated. I have also directed that between now and Friday, the completed basketball court be handed over to the school authorities in Saint Jude’s. This is a school that has been doing well and has made our state proud many times in basketball.”

Highpoint of the visit was the governor, who was a teacher himself, returning to the classroom at the Ijaw National Academy to teach senior secondary students preparing for Government as a subject in the upcoming WASCE.