The Rivers State Sports Institute Isaka was established in 1988 by the Col. Anthony Ukpo administration. The institute which operates a curriculum with a blend of academic and sporting programmes, was established primarily to train and produce sports men and women of various classifications. The Institute is made up of a sea school which operates as a secondary school with regular academic curriculum for students of both arts and science while the institute itself is focused on marine and sporting programmes for seamen, athletes, and career sailors. However, the institute has since been in a state of non-use due to dilapidated infrastructure and complete neglect by successive administrations.
In a bid to ascertain the current state of the institute, National Point paid fact finding visits to the institute in Isaka Town, Okrika Local Government Area. The multiple visits were necessitated by findings from the Rivers State annual financial statement report between 2019 and 2022, which indicates that the government makes a minimum of N32million annual allocation to the institute despite its non-functional state. Our inquiry was also to ascertain if the allocations were meant for facility repairs or upgrade, over-head cost or other associated administrative costs.
Upon arrival at the facility, our correspondent was greeted with a gigantic infrastructure reeling from decades of abandonment and degradation. A tour of the premises was almost impossible as the entire premises were dotted with cow dungs, human feces and overgrown elephant grass. Inside the various buildings, laboratories, sporting halls, and wash-rooms, etc., all showed signs of looting, vandalism and total neglect. The toilet facilities and changing rooms were also not spared the fate of other facilities. Almost all the buildings were with broken ceilings and leaking roof.
However, while the main Institute buildings were quiet, the male and female hostels had signs of human activities. Our inquiry revealed that all the hostels had been leased to tenants by the director of Sports supervising the Institute.
Also in a state of disrepair was the Institute’s concrete jetty which links the establishment to the Isaka River. The jetty used to serve as the main point of arrival or departure between Isaka and Port Harcourt. During a walk on the detached part of the jetty, our correspondent sited some scavengers dismantling the iron rods and the gravels from the collapsed section of the jetty which was buried in the swamps. Oblivious of their actions, the scavengers asked repeatedly if our correspondent was taking their photographs. They also did not look like strangers who had come from far especially, judging from the indigenous Okrika-Ijaw language some of them spoke.
In a friendly chat with the scavengers on the state of the jetty, the scavengers alleged that the jetty contract was awarded to a prominent son from the town who is also a chieftain of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. They claimed further that the indigenous contractor refused to execute the project despite repeated plea by community members.
However, their claim was rebutted by the chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr. Aaron Sample who informed that the leadership of the community during their representations to the immediate past governor on the state of the jetty, discovered that although the contract for a new jetty was awarded, the contractor was, “not fully mobilized to commence the project.” He nevertheless did not name the contractor.
Principal of the Sea School, Mrs. Abigail Elebe, informed that the jetty collapsed last December during the burial of a prominent indigene which attracted many sympathizers to the town. She stated that before the eventual collapse of the jetty, community leaders and the management of the Institute made several appeals to the state government for urgent intervention. Their efforts did not yield result as their worst fears eventually happened.
Mrs Abigail stated that the jetty eventually collapsed as sympathizers thronged on it waiting for speed boats to convey them to Port Harcourt. Many of those who fell into the river during the incident drowned while their corpses were later discovered around the Abonnema Wharf River, she informed.
The Current State of the Institute and the Sea School
Our correspondent had an exclusive interview with the principal of the sea school after tracking her to her private residence within the town. Mrs. Abigail Elebe, who herself, was a former teacher at the Institute, could not contain her disappointment over the plight of the facility. All through the conversation, she repeatedly pleaded with our correspondent to use his network to draw attention of duty bearers to the plight of the school.
On the challenges confronting the Sea School and the Institute, she informed that before talking about the fundamental needs of the school, there was need to address the “hazardous challenges within the learning environment.”
The Sea School, which is domiciled within the institute, also grapples with the effect of the dilapidated infrastructure. The principal, who relieved the glory days of the institute, said it is “heart wrenching,” to see it in its present state. She said the current environment is not fit for learning or human habitation due to the several cow dungs and human feces that frequently litter the premises. In her words: “Before we closed for the session, a parent came to the school to warn us that his child should no longer be made to wash the cow dungs and human feces again.
“Before we learn every day, we must first wash the place from the dungs you saw there. Most times, even after washing, it is difficult to still stay within the environment to teach or learn because everywhere will be smelling. We are suffering!” she declared.
Mrs Abigail also informed that the school grapples with theft and other security challenges. According to her, recently, some criminals broke into the school’s board room and stole some important teaching and learning aids.
“Except God intervenes, we are scared each morning we come here not knowing what to meet or see what has been stolen. We are worried because one day they may break into the academic office,” she lamented.
Apart from security challenges, the school also has challenges with transportation logistics. At inception and even until recently, the school used to have a special transportation logistics mechanism that conveys students from Port Harcourt and other parts of the state to Isaka. The special arrangement was designed with safety kits to aid students’ safety. The arrangement also increased students’ population, especially from outside the host community. But all of that have changed and this has also negatively affected student enrollment from outside the host community into the only remaining academic programme. Things became worse after some students got drowned when their commercial passenger boat from Port Harcourt to the the school capsized. The incident further put an end to student enrollment from outside the host community.
While commenting on the negative impact of the incident she stated, “The incident was a very sad one; many parents whose children were coming from Port Harcourt withdrew their children from the school. Even many children within Isaka here have been withdrawn because of the environmental hazards. Some students are still here because this is the only government secondary school in this town.
“Apart from this school we only have one private secondary school in this community and many parents cannot afford the school fees.”
On the funding and management of the Sea School, Mrs. Abigail stated that allocation made to the institute is supposed to fund the school since the institute is no longer in a functional state. She lamented that at present, the management of the Sea School provides for their teaching and learning aids through funds generated from students’ registration, registration of external students writing for the National Examination Council, NECO and the West African Examination Council, WAEC and collection of certificates.
The lack of funding and administrative support from the government, she said, has negatively impacted the school. “As a principal, I don’t get an administrative support for anything. Whatever we use here is gotten from students who do registration or those coming to collect their certificate. I can also tell you that even though this school is part of the institute and under the ministry of Sports, we don’t see any funding.”
When told that the government makes annual allocation to the institute despite its present state, she said: “Well, only the director can explain that although sometimes he used to say he is using it to take care of the ‘part time teachers.” However, an enquiry on the number of part- time teachers shows that the school only has four part- time teachers. It was also confirmed by the principal and two other teachers that the total number of teachers in the school are eight-four full-time teachers which include the principal and four part-time teachers. One of the full-time teachers our correspondent was told, will be retiring in November 2023.
National Point also spoke to some teachers who expressed sadness over the plight of the facility. For Mr. Promise Okirika, a part-time teacher and an indigene of the community, who agreed to put his name in print; growing up on the island and witnessing the gradual decline and eventual collapse of the institute is inexcusable. He said “This is my community. We used to have many great sports men and women that come here for programmes; the town used to be famous because of the sports institute; but it is very sad that things have worsened.” Mr. Promise informed that while the institute has become moribund, the community is still “battling hard” to keep the sea school afloat. He said “there are only eight teachers in this school; out of the eight four are part time teachers. Out of the remaining four full time teachers, two will be retiring this November. People have been retiring and dying without replacement.”
Their submissions are at variance with findings from the Rivers State Auditor General Budget Performance Report, titled: ‘Report of the Auditor-General, Rivers State of Nigeria on the Accounts of the Rivers State Government of Nigeria for the year, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. A summary of personnel emolument (salaries) for each year stands at ‘Two million, five hundred and seventy one thousand, nine hundred and ninety six naira (N2,571,996.00). Each year, the institute receives a minimum allocation of over ‘Thirty two million, six hundred and sixteen thousand, two hundred and thirty six naira, and seventy two kobo (N32,616,236.72). The allocations tagged, ‘Rivers State Sports Institute’ was broken into January to December. A breakdown of the allocations for each year shows that in 2019, the institute received N38,864,546.55, while in 2020, N43, 288,636.99 was allocated. In 2021 it was N37, 395,523.34, while in 2022; a total of N32,616,236.72 was released. Total allocation from 2019 to 2022 shows an accumulated allocation of N152,164,943.6.
Curiously however, despite the series of retirement and death of teachers as revealed, the salaries and emoluments allocated to the institute within the period, did not change.
Our findings also indicate that the director receives rent from the tenants who currently occupy the male and female hostels at the institute. Multiple authoritative sources including a tenant who pleaded anonymity, reveals that tenants pay around N50,000 to N150,000 annually, depending on the number of apartments.
Response by the Director of Sports
Efforts by our correspondent to have physical meeting with the director of Sports, Mr. Christian Epelle, was rejected. He said as a civil servant he was not allowed to speak to the press. However, when confronted with some of the findings, he opted to speak to our correspondent through a telephone conversation. He stated that allocations made to the institute are used to take care of facilities. He however declined to give specific details stating, “What is usually allocated to the institute is very little. By the time you pay the part-time teachers, buy dusters and other things, nothing is left.”
On alleged receipt of rents from tenants in the male and female hostels, he denied collecting any money. He stated that the tenants do not pay rent but are allowed to stay in the facility to provide security for the area. He further stated that the tradition of giving out the place to tenants did not start from his tenure. He alleged that the two directors before him also had tenants in the buildings.
The Rivers State Government recently warned ministries and agencies to judiciously account for all internally generated revenue. A circular cited by our correspondent to that effect read: “We have advised all higher institutions to judiciously account for all internally generated revenue. However, we are yet to record a good level of compliance. Again, the institutions have in their records, more casual staff than necessary.”
What the community is saying
Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr. Aaron Sample who recalled the many efforts the community has made in order to draw the attention of the government and companies operating in the areas, expressed regret that the institute still remains abandoned. He informed that in a bid to keep the Sea School operational, the community now pays specified fees for their children even though the school is supposed to be a non-fee paying school.
He also informed that the community youths have also taken it upon themselves to ensure that they regularly cut the grasses around the school premises including putting in place mechanisms that will prevent animals and people from going into the school premises to mess up the place.
