The Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, on Wednesday signed the Higher Education Students’ Loan and Education Development Trust Fund bills into law, targeted at building the manpower base of the state.

Assenting to the two bills in Government House, Yenagoa, Governor Dickson, described the laws as the most revolutionary intervention in the education sector, as they would provide unique opportunities for the Bayelsa youths to advance their educational career.

The Governor, who noted that the education sector has continued to receive priority attention, since his administration’s inception in 2012, remarked that, the educational laws would provide a mechanism for sustainable development in the sector.

According to him, the new legislation will go a long way in checking the issue of school drop-outs, due to financial constraints as provision is made for indigent students to draw from the Higher Education loan facility.

Commenting on the Education Development Trust Fund, Governor Dickson said, it was mandatory for all Bayelsans working in the public service, government officials as well as the private sector to contribute to the fund in addition to the 10% of the state’s internally generated revenue in support of the fund on a monthly basis.

To this end, he called on the organised labour and the people of the State to support rather than politicise the new educational policy, as the initiative would be beneficial to the average Bayelsan.

Dickson also noted that N50 billion has so far been invested into the education sector with the establishment of 25 constituency compulsory free boarding secondary schools, in addition to 15 model secondary schools, including the Ijaw National academy, which has taken off.

The Governor, who announced the appointment of Prof. Turner Isoun as the pioneer chairman of the state Education Development Trust Fund, said the two boards to oversee the new educational schemes would be established in due course.

Presenting the two bills for the Governor’s assent, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson, said the Bayelsa state Higher Education Students’ Loan Bill was forwarded to the house on August 10, 2016, while the Education Development Trust Fund bill was presented on July 19, 2016 and passed on February 13, 2017.

•Photo by Michael Owi shows Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (L), signing two bills into law; the Educational Trust Fund and the Higher Education Loan bills, while the Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson (M), and the Clerk of The House, Mr. Aaron Timiye, look on, at the Governor’s Conference Room, Government House, Yenagoa.

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