Rivers Govt, Austria, Endorse Partnership Pact 

● Agree to partner in agriculture, health, education, firefighting

By PHC Telegraph

The Austrian Government and its Rivers counterpart have agreed to collaborate more closely in developing the State’s educational, agricultural and health potentials.

Both sides reached the understanding behind closed doors on Friday when Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara who received the  Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria Thomas Schelesinger at Government House accepted a partnership proposed  by the Austrian government.

The cooperation pact entered into by the Rivers State Government covers  education   health, agriculture, communications and the provision of firefighting infrastructue.

According to what the Port Harcourt Telegraph has pieced together, the Rivers – Austrian cooperatiin pact also provides for the proper enhancement of the use of communications technology, meaningful support of State healthcare delivery services, promotion of Governor Fubara’s plan to ensure food sufficiency and the availability  of basic raw materials through modern agriculture and the pursuit of effective human capital resource development strategies via the  advancement of quality education.

A statement issued by Bon Oyedi, SSA to the Governor on media matters revealed that the Austrian Ambassador was accompanied by a delegation from Avsatel Communications Limited which wants a partnership between State tertiary institutions and an Austrian University in delivering quality health education.

Also present during the discussions which is being seen as a major breakthrough for the Fubara administration was a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili.

The statement quoted the state governor as saying that the Rivers State Government will further engage the services of Avsatel in revamping the State Fire Service system.

Disclosing the outcome of the meeting which was held Friday, Schlesinger said the talks had centred<span;> on the adoption of a partnership arrangement that will be mutually beneficial to both sides.

The Ambassador hinted newsmen that the understanding reached by both parties would create room for more robust and effective collaboration between Austrian Universities and State tertiary institutions, especially in raising the quality of health education and ensuring global best practices in the training of qualitative manpower.

Schlesinger further noted that the state has equally agreed to engage the expertise of Avsatel Communications in transportation technology, especially in the area of providing the knowhow needed in the installation and use of air traffic management systems as well as the restructuring of the State owned Fire Service.

Also speaking, the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili who actively participated in the meeting said Governor Fubara is poised to exploit the God-given potentials of the Rivers State in order to advance the fortunes of the Rivers people.

Dr Odili explained that a new level of collaboration was explored in the education sector.

He stressed that it will encourage shared experience, exchange of programmes and ensure that Rivers State and Austria would work together in the future in the area of medical education.