A philanthropist, Boma Banigo has called on Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara to intervene and save Modern Primary School, Bonny from extinction.

Banigo, who is the founder and National Coordinator of “Not Too Young To Lead Initiative”, made this call on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in an interview with Kristina Reports in Bonny, Rivers State.

He lamented that the school, which is located opposite the Bonny Police Station along Hospital Road and had produced some of the great minds in the State, was wasting away, with the building and furniture deteriorating.

“Incidentally, that’s my alma mater, that’s where I did my primary education, but it’s going, it’s wasting away.”

“I’m calling on Governor Siminalayi Fubara to come to the aid of the school and fix it, so that the children can have a place to learn.”

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that the contract for the remodeling of the school was awarded to a former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bonny LGA, Simon Hart, through a company he allegedly nominated.

The company, GABSECOM TECHNO SERVICES NIGERIA LIMITED, which is registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with RC 618918 and official address as No. 7 Hospital Road, Bonny, Rivers State, has Benjamin Abraham of No. 16 King Jaja Street, Bonny, Rivers State, registered as a “person with significant control”.

In response to Kristina Reports enquiry, the then Commissioner for Education, Alice Nemi, PhD, confirmed that the contract was actually awarded to Mr. Hart, who was also a one-time Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bonny LGA.

She further confirmed that the said project is the “Construction of a Proposed 14 Classroom Block Modern Primary School 1”, asserting that the contractor was mobilized 100% for the job.

She regretted that despite the State Government fulfilling its contractual obligations, the contractor was yet to complete the job, regretting that pupils of the school had to be subjected to learning under unpleasant circumstances.

Efforts by Kristina Reports to have Simon Hart respond to the extant issues surrounding the contract was yet unsuccessful as he was yet to respond to messages sent to his mobile line.

Further checks by Kristina Reports indicate that pupils of Model Primary School, Bonny were relocated to a decrepit uncompleted building within the premises of Government School, Bonny.

For over eight years, the pupils have been subjected to being moved from one uncompleted building to the other and learning under conditions that can only be described as a state of abject squalor.

There were no desks for them until recently when some well-meaning individuals donated desks; just as the teachers have to grapple with lack of teaching aids or even chairs and tables to use.

Boma Banigo, who described himself as “passionate about Education”, appealed to the State Governor to ameliorate the unfortunate plight of the children by fixing their own school infrastructure.