After more than two decades without a state government commissioning a project in Bonny, Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has commissioned the newly reconstructed Bonny National Grammar School, describing the occasion as a historic break from years of promises and limited government presence in the community.
Speaking at the commissioning on Friday, Governor Fubara acknowledged the prolonged absence of state government project commissioning in Bonny, saying the development marked a departure from what he described as a pattern of politicians visiting the island mainly during election campaigns to make promises.
“This is the first time in over twenty years that government is coming to Bonny to commission a project. We’ve been coming here to campaign. We’ve come here to make promises. But now we have gone a step further to ensure that we break that jinx,” the Governor said.
Fubara said the completion of the school project was intended to demonstrate that his administration would prioritise action over political promises, adding that future campaign visits should be preceded by evidence of government interventions in the community.
He said the commissioning was also meant to reassure the people of Bonny that they remained an integral part of Rivers State and that government had not forgotten them.
“So, what we have come here to do today, is to demonstrate the significance of this wonderful institution and to tell the good people of Bonny that government still remembers you and that you’re part of Rivers State,” he stated.
A School Buried Under Two Decades of Neglect
The Governor’s reference to over 20 years without a state project commissioning in Bonny has placed the intervention against the backdrop of what residents have long described as inadequate government attention to the island’s public infrastructure.
For a community that occupies a strategic position in Rivers State’s economic landscape and hosts major oil and gas investments, the prolonged absence of a state government project commissioning has become a significant point of public discussion.
Fubara said his administration deliberately chose the Bonny National Grammar School for the intervention because of the institution’s historical importance and its potential to shape the future of young people in the kingdom.
Tracing the school’s history, the Governor recalled that it was established in 1965 as a community initiative and had produced generations of prominent sons and daughters of Bonny.
He noted that the institution, originally known as Government Secondary School, Ogwugwumaka, Bonny, later became Bonny Grammar School as the community and institution evolved.
“I believe that the Who is Who in Bonny, a greater number of them, passed through this Grammar School,” Fubara said.
From Decay to Modern Educational Facility
The reconstruction has transformed the school from an ageing educational facility into a modern learning environment with facilities designed to support both academic and extracurricular development.
According to the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peter Nwagor, the intervention covers renovated classrooms and fully equipped Chemistry, Biology and Physics laboratories, as well as a technical workshop and a new ICT centre.
The project also includes modern hostel facilities, staff quarters, an assembly hall, a sick bay and a fully furnished library equipped with books, digital tools and research materials.
Beyond the academic facilities, the project features a sports arena with volleyball and basketball courts, internal roads with drainage systems, solar-powered streetlights, an upgraded low-voltage electricity distribution network, perimeter fencing and a security gatehouse.
Interlocking pavements and a car park are also part of the completed works.
Education as Gateway to Bonny’s Economic Opportunities
Governor Fubara linked the investment in education to Bonny’s strategic position in Nigeria’s oil and gas economy, noting that the presence of NLNG and other multinational companies provides opportunities that educated young people can better access.
“Today, we have the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) and other multinationals that are operating in Bonny. Some of our people are working with them and they are working with them because of education,” he said.
He stressed that his administration intends to improve the fortunes of Bonny through education, particularly given its importance to Nigeria’s hydrocarbon and energy development.
The Governor also thanked the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, King Edward William Asimini Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI, for his leadership and efforts in attracting development to the kingdom.
He similarly acknowledged the Federal Government’s contribution to the Bonny-Bodo Road project, which he said had significantly improved access to Bonny Island.
Team Rivers Get Full Scholarships
The commissioning also witnessed a major education-focused announcement as Governor Fubara awarded full scholarships to members of Team Rivers, following their victory at the Presidential Inter-Schools Debate Championship.
The Governor described the students’ achievement as an example of the importance of investing in the “software” of development—human capacity—alongside physical infrastructure.
“For every one of them that participated, we must make sure that we take full responsibility for their education starting from this minute,” he declared.
He directed the Commissioner for Education and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry to immediately work out the modalities for implementing the scholarship.
‘Restoration of a Legacy’ — Amanyanabo
The Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, who served as special guest of honour, described the commissioning as more than the unveiling of a renovated school.
According to the monarch, the project represents “the restoration of a legacy and an investment in the future.”
King Perekule XI said Bonny National Grammar School had played a significant role in the educational history of the kingdom, producing generations of young men and women who went on to distinguish themselves in various professions and public service.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the rehabilitation and furnishing of the school, describing the intervention as a practical demonstration of the administration’s recognition of the importance of education to the development of Bonny and Rivers State.
Breaking the Jinx
For Governor Fubara, however, the significance of the event went beyond the reconstructed classrooms, laboratories, hostels and other infrastructure.
It was also about ending what he described as a 20-year cycle of promises without project commissioning in Bonny.
“So, the success we are sharing today, is to water the ground so that when we are coming here to campaign, we don’t need to make promises again because you have already seen action,” he said.
He thanked the people of Bonny for their support and pledged that his administration would continue to execute more projects in the area.
“I believe that going forward, it will be progress, development, improvement and commissioning of more projects for the Bonny people,” Fubara said.
The commissioning therefore marks a significant moment for Bonny National Grammar School and its long educational history, while simultaneously opening a fresh debate over whether the reconstruction represents the beginning of a sustained era of government investment in Bonny after more than 20 years of perceived neglect.
