Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on Friday, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education, as he inaugurated the newly reconstructed Bonny National Grammar School project and awarded full scholarships to students of “Team Rivers” who won the National Inter-Schools Debate Championship.
The Governor said government must not just fund education but sustain programmes that add value to the people, describing education as the most critical investment for the future of Rivers State.
He described the commissioning as historic, noting that it was the first time in over 20 years that a state government was visiting Bonny to deliver a project instead of making campaign promises.
“I need to say this, maybe I stand to be corrected but – this is the first time in over twenty years that government is coming to Bonny to commission a project. We’ve been coming here to campaign. We’ve come here to make promises. But now we have gone a step further to ensure that we break that jinx,” the Governor stated.
Governor Fubara said the visit was to demonstrate the importance his administration attached to the Bonny National Grammar School and to reassure the people of Bonny that they remain an integral part of Rivers State.
“So, what we have come here to do today, is to demonstrate the significance of this wonderful institution and to tell the good people of Bonny that government still remembers you and that you’re part of Rivers State,” he said.
Tracing the history of the school, the Governor recalled that the institution began in 1965 as a community initiative and has produced many leaders of Bonny Kingdom.
“The story of this school, for those of you who are indigenes of Bonny dates back to many years ago. It was a community initiative in 1965 that gave birth to the present Grammar School. When this school started, it was named Government Secondary School, Ogwugwumaka, Bonny. But later on, with improvements and developments and with the growth of the Bonny Kingdom, it was changed to Bonny Grammar School. I believe that the Who is Who in Bonny, a greater number of them, passed through this Grammar School,” he said.
The Governor said the project was deliberately sited in Bonny to show that his administration prefers action to promises.
“So the success we are sharing today, is to water the ground so that when we are coming here to campaign, we don’t need to make promises again because you have already seen action. When I’m coming with our party to campaign, you’ll be confident that your brother did something,” Fubara said.
He linked the importance of the intervention to the economic role of Bonny, noting that education remains the pathway for indigenes to benefit from opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
“Today, we have the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) and other multinationals that are operating in Bonny. Some of our people are working with them and they are working with them because of education. We intend to better the lot of Bonny through education, knowing the importance of Bonny in the hydrocarbon and energy development of Nigeria,” the Governor stated.
Governor Fubara commended the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, for his leadership in attracting development to the kingdom. He also acknowledged the contributions of the Federal Government for delivery of the Bonny -Bodo road project which has made trips to Bonny Island seamless.
“Let me thank everyone, most especially the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom who has stood with the people of Bonny and who has continued to uplift the people of Bonny by attracting meaningful projects to Bonny. What the Amanyanabo has done today has placed Bonny on the map of Africa and the world,” he said.
In a major highlight, the Governor announced full scholarships for all members of Team Rivers who emerged champions at the Presidential Inter-Schools Debate Championship.
“Today is not just about the hardware development because we just celebrated a software – our children who participated in the Presidential Debate and performed excellently even in the most difficult conditions. They came out first in the championship. For this particular outstanding performance, we are giving those students scholarships. The Commissioner for Education and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, take note and work out the modalities. For everyone of them that participated, we must make sure that we take full responsibility for their education starting from this minute,” he declared.
Governor Fubara thanked the people of Bonny for their support and pledged that his administration would continue to deliver more projects in the area.
“I’m really happy. I’m happy because it’s happening in our own time. I’m a happy person today because we have done something that looked impossible. I believe that going forward, it will be progress, development, improvement and commissioning of more projects for the Bonny people,” he said.
The Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, King Edward William Asimini Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI, who was special guest of honour at the occasion, described the event as more than the commissioning of a school. According to the paramount ruler, it is the restoration of a legacy and an investment in the future.
“Today, we are witnessing the renewal of an institution that has formed an important part of the educational history of our dear Kingdom. For generations, Bonny National Grammar School has served as a centre of learning, discipline, and character formation. It has led to the intellectual development of Bonny young men and women who have gone on to distinguish themselves in different professions and areas of public service,” he said.
The royal father noted that the story of the Bonny National Grammar School is inseparable from the story of educational advancement of Bonny Kingdom. According to him, the event carries so much significance because it is not just about opening renovated classrooms, laboratories and libraries, but giving new life to a legacy.
He expressed profound appreciation to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his administration for undertaking the rehabilitation project, describing the reconstruction works and furnishing of the school as a practical demonstration that the administration recognises the importance of education to the development of the Bonny Kingdom and Rivers State.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peter Nwagor, who made a presentation on the scope of work done on the school, disclosed that apart from the renovation of the classrooms, the school now has fully equipped laboratories for Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, alongside a technical workshop building and a new ICT center.
According to Nwagor, there are also modern hostel facilities, staff quarters, an assembly hall, a dedicated sick bay, a fully furnished library stocked with books, digital tools, and research materials.
The renovation project, he said, also comes with a new sports arena featuring volleyball, basketball courts for talent development, internal road networks with drainage systems, solar-powered street lighting, an upgraded low-voltage electrical power distribution network, a perimeter fencing with a security gatehouse, interlocking stone pavements, and a car park.
