Thursday, 10 September 2015
TECHNICAL SCHOOLS ARE VERITABLE TOOLS FOR YOUTHS EMPOWERMENT-OKOWA
IKA WEEKLY
The executive governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa on Tuesday, September I, 2015 paid an inspection visit to project sites at Agbor Technical College, Agbor and Abavo General Hospital, Abavo. The governor was accompanied in the visit by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Timi Brisibe, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Chiedu Ebie, the member representing Ika South constituency and Minority Leader, Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Festus Chukwuyem Okoh (ChukyDandy), the Chief Press Secretary, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, Director of protocols, Government House, Hon. Ifenayi Eboigbe, Rt. Hon. Martin Okonta and other top government functionaries.
On ground to receive the governor at Agbor Technical College were the Ika South Council chairman, Hon. Fred Ofume, place chiefs from Agbor, political leaders such as Pa. John Nwagineje, Jude Onya, Peter Idion, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairman in Ika South LGA, Hon. Ralph Azeh, Comrade Christopher Ogala, Elder (Dr) Chukwuma Nwaonicha, Hon. Isaac Ulebor, Barr. Benson Melekwe, Hon. Sunny Iyeke, Real Admiral Godwin Eboma, retried, among others.
Governor Okowa who defiled the early morning down pour to inspect work in the college while answering questions from journalists described technical education as a veritable tool to empower Nigerian youths to be self sufficient. The governor stated that his administration was laying emphasis on vocational and technical education because it was the fastest way of making the youths to be independent while they contribute to the growth of the economy as entrepreneurs.
“Beyond our empowerment programmes which will empower six thousand Deltans every six months, we actually believe that our technical schools could be places that can produce people who are well groomed and who after three years of technical education, they should be able to come out and stand on their own,” he said, adding, “we want to ensure that while they are in school they learn a lot of skills”.
He said, “I am hoping that in the next few years we should have technical school gradates who can bid for certain projects that are awarded by the government because we think that is the way to go and I know that we are on the right path”.
The Governor said, “we believe that technical and vocational education is the best way to go, at the moment we chose three technical schools for a start; the Agbor, Sapele and Ofagbe technical schools and we actually want to get them into centres of excellence where people can really acquire skills and be able to stand on their own,” noting , “you will realize that we have already started our skill training and acquisition entrepreneurial programmes to train our youths and to ensure that they become self sustaining and they are able to run businesses of their own”.
While lauding the speed and quality of job being done at the project sites which were been supervised by officials of Ministry of Housing, Governor Okowa discolosed, “I have a firm conviction that the technical schools will commence academic programmes in October, the contractor has told me that they will be out of the site by the end of September, we will get to Sapele and Ogagbe next week Wednesday to access the level of work done and it is my hope that thay too will able to finish with their construction by the middle of October because, we want to be sure that the students will be able to come in when all the structures have been put in place”.
The principal of the College, Rev. Jude Owabor who conducted the Governor and his team round the structures thanked Governor Okowa for bringing life back to the school, stating that the staff are excited and ready to face the challenge ahead.
At the General hospital, Abavo, Governor Okowa expressed satisfaction with the level of work being done, disclosing,” this particular hospital is very dear to my heart, it was started when I was the commissioner of Health in 2006 and since then the hospital remained the way it was when we left office we thank God that the job has started and by the grace the structure will be ready by September, we have already awarded contract for the supply of the equipment and it is our hope that before the end of October we should be able to put it to a functional state”.
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