Dickson lauds self as Bayelsa poly matriculates 264

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday said the sacrifices and projects embarked upon by his administration stand him out as a leader who came prepared to serve.

He stated this at the first matriculation ceremony of 264 students of the Bayelsa State Polytechnic (BYSPOLY) in Aleibiri, Ekeremor Council Area of the state.

A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei quoted the governor as saying that posterity would be fair to him as one who paved the way for sustainable development of Bayelsa through education.

He explained that the Polytechnic was established in line with his administration’s vision of producing a critical mass of manpower required to drive the oil and gas industry and other sectors of the economy.

Governor Dickson, who stressed that the Polytechnic would ever remain dear to him, urged the management to strictly focus on technical oriented courses and research.

“Most of the investments we have made as a government are futuristic in nature. We are tackling the bigger issues that would expand the frontiers of the development of Bayelsa State.

“One sure way to actualise the vision is by addressing educational challenges and that is why we have built several schools and provided scholarships. We will even give the last set of scholarships before I round off my service on February 14, 2020.
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To ensure sustainability, our programmes such as the Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) and Higher Education Loan Scheme (HELS) are backed by law.

“People may not appreciate what we have done, but I am sure posterity will be fair in its judgment on my stewardship. Th
e world should watch out for the Bayelsa children that we are training now because we have broken the jinx.

“If these investments are sustained, we will have excess human capacity in every field of endeavor,” he stated.

While congratulating the students, he urged them to abide by the rules and regulations of the institution, assuring that his administration would offer another scholarship scheme before leaving office.

Dickson also charged the Aleibiri people to sustain their peaceful disposition and support the growth of the Polytechnic.

Speaking, Chairman, Governing Council of BYSPOLY, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mike Zuokumor (rtd.), applauded Dickson for his foresight in establishing the institution, which he noted, would enhance the development of its host communities.

Spokesman of Aleibiri Community, Chief Suru Oyarede, commended the governor for siting the Polytechnic in the area, describing the matriculation ceremony as a demonstration of Dickson’s faith and commitment to the education sector.

Also speaking, Rector of the institution, Professor Promise Mebine, thanked the governor for providing funds for the equipping of state-of-the-art laboratories and workshops for five programmes, namely: Accountancy, Computer Science, Computer Engineering Technology, Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technology, and Statistics.