2nd April, 2017
The Niger Delta Youths Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP) on Sunday commended the educational policies of Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa.
Dickson had on Friday announced that he had signed the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund and Bayelsa Higher Education Trust Fund.
The laws make it mandatory for every taxable adult, civil servants, and corporate bodies to contribute on a monthly basis to the trust funds.
The fund would be used to run secondary educational institutions in the state and to provide revolving loans to indigent students in tertiary institutions.
NDYPP in a statement signed by Pastor Olayinka Tiedor and Chief Henry Nabena, Acting National Chairman and Acting State Chairman in Bayelsa respectively pledged to collaborate with Bayelsa government to sensitise the public to contribute towards the trust funds.
The coalition noted that the educational programmes of the Dickson’s led administration in Bayelsa were panacea to reverse the educational backwardness of the state.
It noted that the establishment of Ijaw National Academy, a model boarding secondary school providing scholarship to 1, 000 students from the Niger Delta region was an ambitious effort worthy of support.
“We support in totality, the educational development levy because of its importance in sustaining quality education at all levels in the state.
“This will also check youth restiveness in the state by providing opportunity to youths to ensure self development.
“This wake-up call to give education the priority it deserves is key to the speedy transformation of Bayelsa and indeed the Ijaw nation.
“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to bring it to fruition irrespective of political party affiliation or tribe.
“The NDYCPP, a coalition of several youth groups across the Niger Delta with structures in all the states and Local Government Areas of the region, remain a viable youth advocacy platform.
The group said it is committed to empowerment of 5, 000 youths in Bayelsa within the next one year.
The group further stated that in collaboration with the Bayelsa Ministry of Agriculture, it had facilitated the participation of some 200 youths in the CBN Anchor Borrowers Scheme for Fish/Cassava farmers.
It stated that the target of empowering 5,000 youths was feasible going by its efforts in agriculture, entrepreneurship development, wealth creation and existing partnership with the three tiers of government and private sector
The group also lauded the plans of Bayelsa government to float Bayelsa Young Entrepreneurship Programme to provide soft loan to youths with viable business ideas capable of creating jobs to decongest the labour market.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) on Sunday urged state governors in the Niger Delta region to prioritise education and step up investment in education.
The youth group was reacting to the foundation laying for Senate building of Niger Delta University by Gov. Seriake Dickson in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa on Thursday.
Secretary of the IYC Mr Parkins Ogede said that the Dickson has taken the bull by the horns in tackling the educational disadvantage of the region by initiating the education development trust fund (EDTF) in the state.
The group urged other governors in the region to emulate Gov. Dickson by paying attention to education.
Ogede said that IYC will not hesitate to call out under-performing state governments in the region and in extension the Ijaw nation to take steps to meet the expectations of the people to provide education to uplift the living standards of the people.