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The Bayelsa State government has said it would intensify efforts to secure accreditation of courses offered at the state-owned Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, to ensure the employability of its graduates.
The deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the assurance Wednesday at separate meetings with some stakeholders of Sagbama Town led by Fyneman Wilson as well as Management of the College at the Government House, Yenagoa, a statement by his media assistant, Doubara Atasi, said.
Ewhrudjakpo said the government was aware of the challenges facing the school and that steps were being taken to address them, including accreditation of courses and issuance of certificates to graduating students to enable them seek employment.
He promised that the government would support the effort of the College of Education to finalise the affiliation agreement with the Niger Delta University (NDU) to enable it award degrees in addition to the National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme.
The Deputy Governor also assured that the present administration would ensure the completion of projects initiated by past governments, and take up the perimeter fencing project in order to boost teaching and learning in the teacher training institution.
Ewhrudjakpo called for understanding on the part of the students and directed the management of the school to implement Governor Douye Diri’s directive on reduction of school fees in all state-owned tertiary institutions.
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“I believe we should be able to create a situation to assuage the plight of the students. I disagree strongly that we cannot give them certificates. I also disagree that they cannot find a place in the labour market,” he said.
While addressing the Sagbama stakeholders, Ewhrudjakpo expressed gratitude to the people of Sagbama Local Government Area for giving the highest votes to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 governorship and December 2020 senatorial by-elections in the state.
He assured government would reciprocate their kind gesture by tackling some of the challenges facing the area, including flooding and directed the Commissioner for Special Projects, Sinkumo Ekisah, to conduct a baseline study on flooding in Sagbama Town and its environs and come up with findings for government to take necessary measures to address it.
In their separate responses, the Chairman, Governing Council of the Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, Thompson Okorotie and the Provost, Timothy Epidi, thanked the Deputy Governor for his interest and efforts in upgrading the college.
They both pledged to bequeath worthy legacies to the college, assuring that the institution would always follow the policy directions of the state government, including the recent directive of the governor on reduction of school fees.
Also, leader of the Sagbama Stakeholders delegation, Fyneman Wilson and the Amananaowei of Sagbama Federated Community, Moses Ojo Magbisa, acknowledged the contributions of Ewhrudjakpo to the development of the area right from his days as the state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.
They also pleaded with the Deputy Governor not to rest on his oars, but do more for Sagbama even as they listed the construction of a dyke to combat flooding and fencing of the college as some of the immediate needs of the town.
