Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday pledged sustenance of infrastructure in state-owned tertiary institutions in a bid to improve quality of education in the state. He also said that the state funds would be used strictly to develop the state.

Speaking while inaugurating ultra-modern Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Faculty of Management Sciences buildings at the Rivers State University, the governor vowed never to play politics with education. He said: “Facilities are vital to the growth of education.

Previous administrations never thought it wise to develop facilities in our institutions. Every faculty should have a dedicated building for learning and teaching. “We can’t talk about quality of education without classrooms and offices.

That is why we are working round the clock to build necessary facilities at the Rivers State University.” He said the New College of Medical Sciences’ building flagged off by his administration will be completed and commissioned in February 2018, warning the students against involvement in cultism, stressing that the state government will work towards checking the menace.

“I will release N500 million for the completion of the College of Medical Sciences’ building in the school. “I promised to release N1 billion for further infrastructural development in the university. I have released N750 million.

Now that I have seen the commitment of the school administration, I will immediately release the balance of N250 million,” he said. He directed the university management to tackle examination malpractices promoted by lecturers to the disadvantage of students. “I don’t want to hear reports about ‘sorting’ in this university. Let it end today. Vice-Chancellor, if you don’t end it, I will end it for you,” the governor said.

He added: “Wherever God places you, make sure you do something for your people. It is not a matter of carrying SARS and army personnel. SARS and army personnel will not be with you on judgement day when the people demand to know what you have done for them.”

Governor Wike urged Nigerians to be part of the process to achieve the right leadership for the country in 2019. “Nobody will use the position of vice-president to deceive me into wasting the funds of Rivers State.

Our funds will be used to develop Rivers State,” he said. Pro-Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Justice Iche Ndu, while commending Governor Wike for the completion of the two faculty buildings, said what the governor had invested in the state university was an eloquent testimony that he was committed to educational development in the state.