We spent N50bn in educational sector, says Dickson

The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, Wednesday, said his administration had so far spent about N50bn in the state’s educational sector.

The governor also signed the Bayelsa State Higher Education Student Loan bill 2017 and the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund bill 2017 passed by the state House of Assembly.

Dickson said the bills which became law following his assents were aimed at consolidating on the achievements of his administration in the educational sector.

Signing the bills in the Government House, Yenagoa, the governor said the two bills were critical in providing sustainable development for the state’s education.

‎He said the executive bills became necessary because of the urgent need to develop human capacity in the state to secure the future of children and youths.

He said: “Whereas ‎we have been making critical investment in the last five years in education but it is from today that we will be building on the foundation of sustainability.

“How all the schools we have built and are building will be sustained, how the legacy of investment in human capacity will be maintained in the years to come”.

‎He commended the members of the House of Assembly for their expedient consideration of the bills.

Dickson said the whooping amount was spent to provide educational infrastructure and decried the previous decay in the sector as a result of the long years of neglect.

He noted that any serious government must take issues of security and education serious for rapid development.

He called on all persons, who earn salaries in the state to avail themselves the opportunity of contributing to the education trust fund which‎ is now compulsory by reason of the new law.

He said: “By the provisions of this law, everyone who is working and earning salary, doing business or involved in contracts in the state is liable to pay the education development levy”.

The governor also appointed a former Minister of‎ Science and Technology, Prof. Turner Isoun to head the trust fund.

He pleaded with the organized labour in the state not to allow themselves to be used to unduly politicize the new law adding that anyone desirous of quality education should view it as a welcome development.

Dickson added that with the new model schools, the ongoing constituency secondary schools, the Ijaw National Academy and other educational interventions, the state was ahead in educational development.

Earlier before formally presenting the bills for the governor’s assent, the Speaker of the Assembly, Konbowei Benson emphasized ‎that the higher education student loan bill would help indigent students desirous of getting quality education.

He appreciated the governor for keeping to his words of not playing politics with education and for declaring a state of emergency in the sector.

He said that the assembly had no problems passing both bills because of their huge importance.