NDDC Donates Hundreds of Desks to Rivers Community School

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), yesterday, donated hundreds of 5-seater mahogany desks to Community Secondary School Rumuekini in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Presenting the desks to the school, the Rivers State representative on the NDDC Board, Tony Okocha, emphasised that the provision of the learning desks to the school became necessary after the students were sighted sitting on the floor during learning period.

He said he had received information that the pupils and students of the school sit on the floor during studies due to the unavailability of chairs in the school, hence, he visited the school to ascertain the truth of the information.

According to Okocha, after his on the spot assessment of the school, he drew the attention of the NDDC headed by Mr. Chiedu Ebie (Chairman) and Dr Samuel Ogbuku (Managing Director) and immediate action was taken to save the students from dehumanising conditions.

 “I visited the school one morning without anyone’s knowledge and saw students sitting in an uncomfortable environment and I was imagining how they could comprehend what the teacher was teaching under such conditions. I also discovered that if it rains, the students will be in trouble because there are no windows in the school building.

“I swiftly drew the attention of the NDDC Board to the plight of those students and hence these desks,” Okocha said.

He revealed that the step taken avail the opportunity for the Governing Board of the NDDC to direct that 100 pieces of 5-seater mahogany-polished desks be presented to the school to ameliorate the sufferings of the students. 

He said, “Each of the desks can comfortably seat 5 to 7 students, which means that at the minimum, we have taken about 500 to 700 students off the ground.”

According to him, the school which was in a dilapidated state was built and donated to the Rivers State Government by the Women Social Club.

He said the dilapidated building which sheltered thousands of students from JSS1 to SSS3, has become a death trap that may collapse under the slightest pressure.

Okocha, however, thanked President Bola Tinubu for trusting on the ability of  the NDDC Governing Board and promised that the Board is poised to deliver on its mandate, just as he also appreciated the management board of the commission for making the well-being and welfare of the people of the Niger Delta a top priority. 

He urged the people of Rumuekini community to support the government of President Tinubu in achieving the best for the country and charged the community to guard the items against vandalism.

Earlier, the CDC Chairman of the community, Mr. Gentle Akani, thanked the NDDC for coming to their aid. He lamented that “this is the first time the community is witnessing NDDC intervention.”

He specially extended gratitude of the community to the Rivers State representative on the NDDC Board, Okocha, for making it possible for the provision of the desk and presence, and  vowed to protect the items securely.

Some of the students that spoke with journalists expressed joy that after years of sitting on the floor to learn, they now have the opportunity of having comfortable classrooms.