Rivers Teachers Celebrate
Teachers under the auspices of the Rivers State 2023 Universal Basic Education celebrate the validation of their employment by holding a hold thanksgiving service after three years of waiting
By Chinedu Oguh, Port Harcourt
Tears of joy and gratitude filled the atmosphere on Sunday as the 2023 set of newly employed teachers by the Rivers Government under the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) held a special Thanksgiving Service to God for His favour after several failed efforts to make the employment a reality for more than three years.
The service was held at the Lynn Chancel and Towers Mission, Rumuesara, Eneka Chantry Port Harcourt on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
In his homily, Fyneface Akah, former Chairman of the Rivers State UBE Board, whose tenure initiated and completed the recruitment process before it was paused, delivered a thought-provoking message that touched the heart.
“All the current educational hiccups are against the Nigerian youth. There are deliberate actions to keep Nigerian youths down. Why deny them admission because of JAMB and aptitude test? Yet in neighboring Ghana and advanced countries you get admitted without JAMB nor aptitude test. Why should a medical doctor be made Minister or Commissioner of Education, yet, a PhD education holder can’t be made Commissioner of Education or Minister of Health?,” he queried.
He commended Barr. K.T. George, the then Director Administration who worked with him to spread the 1,000 vacancies across core subjects – English, Mathematics, History and Computer.
Ven. Akah revealed that though he requested for at least 7,000 teachers where more than 15,000 were needed, out of the 10,000 announced by the then Governor of Rivers State, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Wike, he thanked him that after several moves, he approved 1,000 slots through the civil service commission.
“Concerning the present day trend in the polity, “what have teachers done that politicians didn’t want them in classes which had already become empty? God loves Nigeria but politicians hate Nigeria,” he lamented.
He specially commended the present Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who despite distractions, ordered that employment letters be issued and arrears payment made after 3 years set back.
The educationist also commended former governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who employed 13,200 teachers hereby broadening and reducing the gap he met.
The cleric further charged the new teachers not to be like the 2013 set where ghost workers and non-compliant staff are giving the system headache.
The former Chairman further called for creation of new ministry – Commissioner for Basic Education should be separated from Commissioner for Tertiary and Vocational Education.
“Be teachers indeed and do not disappoint the children and the government. Invest your life on the children. You will not regret it. God will pay you”, he said.
Dr. Akah recalled how earlier in life, he was buying books and welfare packages to support pupils as his wife who was a teacher brought report that even parents couldn’t afford drugs for their children.
A solemn moment of silence was observed in honor of those who lost their lives in the course of the waiting struggles for this employment.
The former Board Chairman acknowledged the current UBE Board Chairman, Hon. Barr Sam Oge for pursuing the same employment on assumption of office leading to its realizations from the same earlier approval during his tenure. He noted that by the employment letter he issued the job was to have started on July 4, 2023 but was paused. Again, in December, 2024, some one at the helms of authority refused to do the needful until Ogeh’s arrival.
“Please teach, as stated in your application letters in entry. I am successful because I taught I am still teaching even now, statutorily retired after 40 years in ministry which closed out during my time as Board Chairman,” he said.
However, he clarified that Lynn Chancel is not his church but the church of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the online presence and physical congregation began during the COVID era as a way of reaching out to the unchurched where “we worship God in quiet mind”.
The man of God thanked the teachers for choosing the chancel among other for their thanksgiving on behalf of Revd Henry MacPepple, Revd T. S. Bongilli and Revd Dr. Kingsley Yorsio, the associate priests present.
Speaking on behalf of the 1,000 teachers, Comrade Gospel Orlukwu said they chose to like the one healed leper who returned to thank God Jesus unlike the nine who refused. “We chose to be like the one healed person who came to Thank Jesus,” he said.
The teachers presented a goat, a bag of rice, N100,000 cash with thanksgiving offering purse of #50,000 to the chancel while a portrait and goat were given to the former chairman in appreciation.
The service ended with the soul-lifting hymn “To God Be the Glory, Great Things He has Done.”
