Niger Delta

Jonathan Scores Diri High On Educational Policies, Dev

Published

4 years ago

February 9, 2022

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has restated the importance of Education and technology in nation building and advancement.
Jonathan, who gave the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Bayelsa State education summit in Yenagoa,the state capital on Monday also relived his educational policies as former governor of the state and former president of Nigeria, restating his commitment towards the development and advancement of the state and Nigeria through education.
The summit has as its theme, “Optimizing the delivery, performance and outcomes in the Education sector of Bayelsa state.”
The ex-president who also undersored the importance of a second language for self and national advancement, noted that it was time Nigeria made compulsory the learning of a second international language in schools in order to make communications easier and faster,saying Nigeria shares borders with mostly non-English speaking nations.
He commended the state government for its development- propelling educational policies, just as he described the governor Diri’s prosperity administration as one in the right direction.
He acknowledged the contributions of governor Diri during his time as state governor between 2005 and 2006, adding that Diri who served as Youths/Sports Commissioner worked assiduously in making the state better, reiterating that under his administration, the state executive council worked out similar modalities for repositioning education, but praise Governor Diri and his cabinet for achieving greater milestones in the educational advancement of the state.
“Between 2005 and 2006 when I was governor of Bayelsa state in which Governor Diri served as Commissioner for Youths/Sports, there was a shell scholarship scheme where we found out that no Bayelsan citizen was shortlisted as having qualified after taking the examination for the scholarship.
“And so I called for Diri and the then education Commissioner,Mr James Tobias and worked out modalities to make sure that henceforth Bayelsa’s would sit for examinations and never fail. I called for Diri and Tobias because I believe that this issue of scholarship affects more of the youths.
“From that day on we decided to set up two special schools for the very bests of the best students in our state,but before the commencement of these schools we also sent about 150 best pupils selected from all parts of state for admission into the best secondary schools in the country and luckily after their graduation from these schools, I was by God’s Grace and your grace as Nigerians Vice president, so the Presidential Amnesty programme sent them abroad to further their education in some of the best schools in the world to study on scholarship”, Jonathan said.
“When I was president I also thought there would be problem in Nigeria if the Almajiris weren’t sent to school to acquire Western Education in addition to the Islamic Education they’ve already acquired and so after my one of my aide from Anambra state went round the North on consultations with traditional rulers and Islamic clerics and we came up with the idea of building the Almajiri schools to deliberately solve the Almajiri problem.
“I also think that there’s nothing bad if as Bayelsans, as a people we pick one of our dialects and make it a central language which all of us can understand and speak. We can have that and still maintain our various dialects, because that would unite us better”, he added.
Also speaking as special guest of honour, Governor Diri said his educational policies were a direct fall out of his quest to better the lots of the educational advancement of state,noting that his administration would be working out a 15 years Educational plan for the state,subject to review in intervals.
Diri described education as the ‘bedrock of development’, adding that any government which does not take the education of its citizens seriously, is doomed.
The Bayelsa chief executive lauded the state Education Commissioner and the Ministry officials for putting the programme,promising that all decisions taken and solutions profered towards solving the setbacks in the state’s Educational problems at the end of the summit would be implemented to the latter.
“As a government,we inherited 13 special schools established by our predecessor’ administration where students are in boarding houses and fed by the state government,and because we’re Education friendly even upon paucity of funds,we’ve decided to continue with these schools. All the students there are fed, uniforms given to them by the government and free books too given to them by the Bayelsa state government”, he said.
Meanwhile,earlier in his opening address,the state Commissioner of Education Dr. Gentle Emelah commended the state governor for his timely interventions towards the advancement of Education in the state.
He thanked delegates and participants in the ongoing summit, promising to work with all relevant stakeholders in the sector to within the limits of his ministry ensure that the state is rated high amongst the educational friendly states in the course of formulating policies and taking decisions as it affects the sector.
The Tide reports that the Bayelsa state maiden education summit which began on Monday,7th, February is expected to end Thursday 10th February,2022 and is held as part of the activities commemorating the second year in office of the governor Diri’s administration.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Okpebholo Assures Corps Members Of Improved Welfare

Published

3 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has assured corps members deployed to the state of improved welfare and a supportive service year.

Okpebholo gave the assurance at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream I corps members last Friday at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Camp in Okada.

The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, safety and entrepreneurship.

Represented by the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Mrs. Charity Amayaenvbo, the Governor urged corps members to embrace innovation, community service and self-reliance rather than wait for white-collar jobs.

“Edo is committed to supporting youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and incentives that turn ideas into enterprises.

“Do not wait for jobs, create value. Wherever you are posted, serve your host community with humility, dedication and compassion.

“Have a positive footprint and let your service contribute to unity, productivity and progress,” he said.

Okpebholo assured the corps members that the state government was attentive to their welfare and had started addressing key concerns raised by the NYSC leadership.

“On behalf of the state government, I assure you of our support in terms of safety, an enabling environment and a rewarding service year.

“I listened carefully to the requests highlighted by the state coordinator, and I am glad to inform you that some of them have already been captured in the 2026 budget, which has been approved and signed into law,” he said.

The Governor noted that provisions for accommodation, meal subsidies, logistics and the construction of a multipurpose hall at the camp were included in the budget.

Earlier in her address, the Edo State Coordinator of the NYSC, Dr. Frances Ben-Ushie, described the ceremony as a reflection of the state government’s commitment to youth development and national integration.

Ben-Ushie said as of midnight on Thursday, a total of 1,235 prospective corps members, comprising 531 males and over 700 females, had been duly registered.

She congratulated the corps members on their enlistment into what she described as a “noble scheme,” urging them to embrace discipline, learning and active participation throughout the orientation course.

“The NYSC platform provides a unique avenue to meet people from diverse backgrounds, build lifelong friendships and create networks that can open doors to greater opportunities,” she said.

Ben-Ushie also highlighted the contributions of the NYSC to the state’s development, noting that the scheme had consistently provided skilled manpower, promoted labour mobility and strengthened national unity.

She cited initiatives such as the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers and the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme as key interventions benefiting communities across the state.

The NYSC coordinator commended the state government for its support, including the provision of buses for corps members, and appealed for further intervention to address lingering operational challenges at the orientation camp.

She expressed confidence that resolving the issues would enhance the effectiveness of NYSC programmes in the state and thanked the Governor for prioritising the welfare, security and growth of corps members.

Niger Delta

PDP Declares Edo Airline’s Plan As Misplaced Priority

Published

3 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday condemned the state government’s reported plan to establish a state-owned airline.

The party, in a statement by its Edo State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dan Osa-Ogbegie, described the proposal as a misplaced priority and evidence of poor, disconnected governance.

The Tide’s source reports that the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, unveiled the airline plan during a meeting with Aviation Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, in Abuja.

Osa-Ogbegie said the proposal showed a government out of touch with the pressing challenges confronting Edo State residents.

“At a time of decaying infrastructure and stalled projects, establishing an airline is unrealistic and profoundly insensitive”, he said.

He argued that airlines were capital-intensive and technically demanding, noting that similar state-owned ventures in Nigeria had largely failed.

According to him, Benin has become a shadow of what a modern state capital should be.

He decried poor roads, collapsed urban planning, neglected drainage systems and weak municipal services across the state capital.

“This is a crying shame for a city of Benin’s history, heritage and enormous potential”, he said.

Osa-Ogbegie said several inherited projects had stalled or deteriorated, eroding investor confidence and undermining economic growth.

He accused the governor of pursuing “white elephant projects that offer optics without substance.”

He also cited ongoing flyover projects in parts of Benin as examples of poor prioritisation.

Against this background, he described the airline proposal as diversionary and lacking economic sense.

“When roads are barely motorable and services overstretched, proposing an airline betrays an absence of judgment,” he said.

He urged the government to abandon the plan and focus on people-centred priorities that would improve living conditions and spur growth.

“Edo does not need an airline to fly above its problems. It needs a government ready to confront them on the ground,” he said.

He warned that failure to refocus would deepen perceptions of an administration lacking direction, competence and a coherent development agenda.

Niger Delta

Students Protest Non-indigene Appointment As Rector in C’River

Published

3 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, have protested to the Governor’s Office in Calabar over an alleged plan to appoint a non-indigene as Rector for the institution.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the students demanded respect for catchment area policy, local content, and the appointment of an indigene of the state as Rector of the institution.

Speaking on behalf of the students in Calabar, Stephen Etem said the protest sought to alert the Federal and Cross River State Governments to an alleged deviation from the established rectorial selection process.

Etem said a Governing Council, chaired by Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, was constituted by the Federal Government to conduct the Rector selection exercise.

“The screening, which began last year, reportedly produced a Cross River State indigene as highest scorer and recommended candidate.

“Information available to us suggests that the alleged recommended candidate’s name might be substituted at the Federal Ministry of Education.

“We urge the Federal Government to uphold the council’s recommendation because altering the process could threaten peace in the institution,” he noted.

Responding at the Government House, Mr. Goddie Akpama, the Special Adviser on Intelligence to the State Governor, Bassey Otu, appealed for calm, saying the Governor was away but would be briefed.

Akpama advised the students to submit written petitions through appropriate channels, avoid inflammatory language, and engage authorities to ensure stability and uninterrupted academic activities.