Abe Laments Unequal Access To Education In Rivers

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has condemned the unequal access to education by school age children in the state.
Abe, who spoke at a special ceremony organized to host him by the family of his late godfather and namesake, HRM Ngei A.O. Ngei, in Eleme on Wednesday, said every child in the state deserves to access quality education free of charge.
Recalling his growing up days when he studied in the same classrooms with children of the rich, the SDP governorship candidate said the state can only adequately create opportunities for the people if the people are offered sound education.
“We cannot pretend to have two standards in the same society. I keep saying to people that my own father was a pastor. In my father’s time all of us went to the same school, the son of the chief, the son of the commissioner and the son of the driver; the daughter of the permanent secretary and the daughter of the cook; they all went to the same school,” he said.
He said equal access to education bridged the social class gap between the citizens and ensured that class discrimination not pronounced.
“The daughter of a permanent secretary and the son of a driver could marry because they went to the same school. So the children know that the fact that your father was rich and my father was not rich did not mean that you are better than me because in class, sometimes, the driver’s son will come first and the permanent secretary’s daughter will come last.
“Today, everything has become different because people don’t care. So a rich man’s son and the poor man’s son have no space for meeting. They only meet as enemies with one at the end of the gun and the other one kneeling down if he’s not careful. All that will change,” he promised.
Abe said God will begin to use the wealth of Rivers State to create opportunities for Rivers people and their children. “This is an oil producing state. If you cannot give anybody anything, at least, we can give our children quality education that is free. That much we can do,” he said.
He promised that if he became the governor of Rivers State he would only be answerable to the people and not to any individual.
“I want to say here for the avoidance of doubt that nobody has ever pocketed the governor of Rivers State. (Peter) Odili was not in anybody’s pocket; (Chibuike) Amaechi was not in anybody’s pocket, (Nyesom) Wike is not in anybody’s pocket and Abe will not be in anybody’s pocket because Rivers people do not tolerate such things,” he said.
The occasion marked the 21st memorial of the death of HRM Ngei, the Oneh-Eh Eleme IX, who was at a time the chairman of Rivers State Council of Chiefs.
Chairman of SDP in Rivers State, Sensei SolsuemaOsaro, at the event, announced the defection of the pioneer chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Eleme Local Government Area, Chief Jiji Mpia, to the SDP and the joining of the party by about 100 youths and women, among whom was Hon. Princewill Osaroejiji, a former international kickboxing champion based in Switzerland.
Earlier, first son of the late monarch, Prince Kenneth Ngei, expressed joy at the visit of Senator Abe, who he said grew up in his early years in their home. Prince Ngei used the opportunity to declare his desire to join the SDP. In his response, Senator Abe admitted him and promised to include him in the leadership of the SDP in the state.
HRM Ngei died in 2001 at the age of 82 after reigning as Oneh-Eh Eleme for 31 years.