WIKE SENDS RIVERS REPRESENTATIVE OUT OF MEETING

The political crisis in Rivers State played out Monday in Abuja as the supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, who is an arch-enemy of the governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, sent a representative of the state commissioner out of a meeting of commissioners of education.
The representative had introduced himself as the personal assistant to the Rivers Education Commissioner, Mrs. Alice Lawrence-Nemi.
But the fact that the commissioner sent a personal assistant to represent her at the meeting drew the ire of the minister.
"What an insult? Not even a permanent secretary or a director. Must you people play politics with everything? I cannot take this. This is a decision-making forum. My friend you have to excuse us," he said.
Wike had earlier expressed displeasure that the Ondo State commissioner was also represented by a deputy director at what was supposed to be a crucial meeting.
The personal assistant, who hurriedly scurried out of the meeting, refused to talk to the press.
In another development, the newly-appointed Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Alhaji Dikko Suleiman, has pledged to revamp the basic education sector with a view to drastically reduce the 10 million out-of-school children estimated to be in Nigeria.
Speaking on resumption of office in Abuja yesterday, Suleiman gave the assurance that he would also deal with the issue of inadequate and under-qualified teachers and low draw down of UBE matching grants by some state governments.
He also promised to make staff welfare a matter of priority.
Suleiman replaces Prof. Rashid Aderinloye who served as acting executive secretary.
Source: Thisday