BOARDING SCHOOLS IN BAYELSA TO ENJOY FREE MEALS FROM SEPT … GOV DICKSON

BOARDING SCHOOLS IN BAYELSA TO ENJOY FREE MEALS FROM SEPT … GOV DICKSON

As part of the Bayelsa State’s revolutionary policy in the educational sub-sector, Government is to introduce free meals in all boarding schools across the state from September, this year.

Governor Seriake Dickson disclosed this when the Senate Committee on Education led by its chairman, Senator Uche Chukwumerije paid him a courtesy visit in Government House Yenagoa.

The Governor who also noted that compulsory boarding would commence during the period in all senior secondary schools in the state, remarked that government has started the construction of three special schools designed not only to run academic programmes but offer leadership training.

According to him, the country has suffered decadence in human capacity development over the years, which necessitated his administration’s radical reforms, adopting the bottom-top approach in the sector to break the vicious cycle of unemployment and violence.

“One area my administration will leave a lasting mark must be in education and human capacity training.

“If we want to build the generation whose future is secured, we must build the capacity of individuals. We need to go out of the ordinary way of doing things and break the jinx to curb unemployment, violence and insecurity,” Hon. Dickson declared.

The Governor urged the committee to support advocacy in the sector in the performance of its oversight functions as it traverses the length and breadth of the country.

Assuring that government would not fail in its commitment to the counterpart funding of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) as such funding has proved to be a veritable means of improving educational infrastructure.

Responding to the Senate committee’s request to provide assistance to the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, especially in the area of access road, the State Chief Executive directed the Ministry of Education and the Secretary to the State Government to liaise with the management of the institution and arrange a meeting for next week with a view to determining the extent to which government can intervene.

Earlier, chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, had explained that, the committee was in Bayelsa as part of its oversight functions to assess the state of tertiary institutions as well as the Bayelsa State Universal Basic Education Board.

Senator Chukwumerije gave thumbs up to Governor Dickson for his vision in declaring a state of emergency in the education sector, pointing out that it is the first state to do so.

While noting that Bayelsa was the first state to pay up its counterpart funds in the UBE, he noted that the governor has blazed a trail in the sector.

The Senator also said they were impressed by the model primary schools under construction as well as the structures on ground at the Federal University, Otuoke and urged him not to relent in actualizing his dreams in the education sector.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor