Gowon lauds Dickson for transforming Bayelsa’s education sector; Atedo Peterside becomes Education Ambassador
CHINEDU WOSU, YENAGOA
Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on Thursday lauded Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state for heavily investing in, and transforming, the education sector of the state and encouraging human capacity building.
Gowon stated this in Kaiama community in Bayelsa state during the official commissioning of the Ijaw National Academy initiated and completed by the Dickson led administration.
Recall that Gen. Gowon and his wife, Mrs. Victoria Gowon on Wednesday embarked on a two day working visit to the state capital and have commissioned over five projects completed by Governor Dickson.
Gen. Gowon, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Victoria Gowon and the leader, the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark and other top government functionaries and women groups gave the ceremony color.
‘I totally endorse what you are doing in the education sector. My love for education knows no bounds,’ he said and
thanked the governor for giving premium to education in the state both at the primary and post primary levels.
Gen. Gowon charged all Ijaw leaders, stakeholders and politicians to support the funding of the education sector and human capacity building and urged the students to shun violence and embrace peace even as he admonished them to make adequate use of the state-of the art facilities put in place in the institution.
Speaking shortly before the commissioning, foremost Ijaw Leader, Chief Clark, appealed to Governor Dickson to use his leadership to unite all Ijaw peoples irrespective of their political affiliations.
Ijaws, Clark said, are educationally and politically backward and have been marginalized over the years, saying that only unity and oneness can solve the problem of the Ijaw people.
Earlier, Governor Dickson said that good as other projects may be, the investment in the education of the children was a priceless legacy, stressing that it was an investment in the moulding of the minds of the leaders of tomorrow.
He described the commissioning of the Academy as a revolutionary approach in the education sector.
He insisted that the development of the state and its future must be anchored on Human capacity building.
Highlight of the event was the official presentation of N 97 million draft to the State’s Education Trust Board, noting that the money was deducted from the political office holders’ salaries.
Dickson also said another 5% of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, and 5 % of health insurance trust fund would be used to sustain the free boarding education programme of the state.
The Governor also confirmed that the state government had given the sum of N100 million as grant to the Trust Fund’s Board to kick off programme, announcing that a distinguished Ijaw son, Atedo Peterside had agreed to Board, headed by former Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Isoun, as an Education Ambassador, while Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka would also contribute to the success of the programme.
The dignitaries present, after the commissioning by Gen. Gowon, undertook a tour of the Academy and interacted with the students.
