CHINEDU WOSU, YENAGOA
Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson on Wednesday said his administration has invested N50 billion into the education sector with the establishment of 25 constituency compulsory free boarding secondary schools.
Dickson also said that additional 15 model secondary schools, including the Ijaw National Academy would soon take off.
He stated this in Yenagoa while signing the Higher Education Students’ Loan and Education Development Trust Fund bills into law.
Dickson said the bills are targeted at building the manpower base of the state.
Signing the bills into laws, Dickson said they are the most revolutionary interventions in the education sector, as they would provide unique opportunities for the Bayelsa youths to advance their educational careers.
The Governor, who noted that the education sector has continued to receive priority attention, since his administration’s inception in 2012, remarked that, the new laws would provide a mechanism for sustainable development in the education sector.
He said, the new legislation will go a long way in checking the issue of school drop-outs, due to financial constraints as provision is made for indigent students to draw from the Higher Education loan facility.
Stressing on the Education Development Trust Fund, Dickson said, it was mandatory for all Bayelsans working in the public service, government officials as well as the private sector to contribute to the fund in addition to the 10% of the state’s internally generated revenue in support of the fund on a monthly basis.
He called on the organized labor and the people of the State to support rather than politicize the new education policy, as the initiative would be beneficial to the average Bayelsan.
Dickson also noted that N50 billion has so far been invested in the education sector with the establishment of 25 constituency compulsory free boarding secondary schools, in addition to 15 model secondary schools, including the Ijaw National Academy, which has taken off.
The Governor, who announced the appointment of Prof. Turner Isoun as the pioneer chairman of the state Education Development Trust Fund, said, the two boards to oversee the new educational schemes would be established in due course.
Presenting the two bills for the Governor’s assent, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson said the Bayelsa state Higher Education Students’ Loan Bill was forwarded to the House on the 10th of August, 2016, while the Education Development Trust Fund bill was presented on the 19th of July, 2016 and passed on February 13th, 2017
