Bayelsa students back new education trust fund law
…says Dickson is champion of modern education
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has announced plans by his administration to begin a comprehensive collation of all unemployed graduates in the state in order to engage them in the state civil service.
To this end, the governor will next week inaugurate a special committee to midwife the process of the unemployed graduate census.
Dickson gave the indication when student leaders from the National Union of Bayelsa State students (NUBSS) and other affiliate student bodies paid him a courtesy call at the Government House in Yenagoa.
According to him the move has become necessary in view of plans to replace ghost and retired workers in the civil service who are being fished out in the ongoing verification exercise.
The governor who thanked the students for the visit and the support they declared for the various educational policies of his government also charged them to lead the way for a new Bayelsa which his administration is building to secure a more prosperous future for them.
“All the things we have laboured to do are only foundations for you people as future generations to build upon. You never can tell among you those to become governors, deputy governors, senators and so on. So clearly the future of this state is in your hands”.
“Let me use this opportunity again to call on every Bayelsan to gear up for the new Bayelsa, the new Bayelsa of enlightenment, the new Bayelsa where we want to move away from crime, criminality, cultisim and other social vices, the new Bayelsa where we want to lead the way as far as educational opportunities and development are concerned in this country”.
He stated that with the massive investment the restoration government has made in the education sector in the last five years and the sincere commitment to sustain it, there is no doubt that Bayelsa now has a strong educational foundation that is a refrence point across the country.
Dickson directed the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation to undertake a working tour with the students to all the projects the government has completed and is working to enable them appreciate what is on ground and to tell a better story of the new and exciting Bayelsa.
While congratulating the NUBSS leadership on their successful election and inauguration, Dickson described the student community as critical and therefore assured them of the support of his government to help them achieve their set goals.
As part of their request, the governor promised to support them to set up a befitting secretariat, approved a bus to enable their mobility and mandated their inclusion in the implementation of the state educational policies through very significant means such as the students loan board.
On their plans to start a transport scheme, he gave a conditional approval while encouraging the idea which he stressed will make their union self reliant and maintain and independent source of income to take care of some of their expenses.
Earlier President of NUBSS worldwide, Comrade Ozu Fredrick Important had told the governor of their total support for the two education laws which were recently passed into law especially the education trust fund law.
The NUBSS president while drumming support for the laws expressed optimism that it will take education to the next level in the state and called on all students and parents to support it just as he also appreciated the governor for his massive support to students in the state.
His words, “We want to use this medium to tell our parents, businessmen, corporate bodies and everyone that as students we are in support of the two bills that has been signed into law”.
