Bayelsa Govt Woos Shell, AITEO, Others Over Partnership on Quality Education

 

Bayelsa State Government on Monday called on Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Aiteo and other international oil companies (IOCs) to partner it in sponsoring programmes that will promote quality education in the state.

Governor Douye Diri, made the call at the grand finale of a school quiz competition tagged "First Tech-Girl Champ Science Competition" at the Dappa Biriye Conference Centre in Yenagoa.

The Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, noted that investing meaningfully in education as part of the IOCs' corporate social responsibility would not only provide quality manpower but also help in safeguarding their own investments.

He specifically pointed out that if the youths are well educated they would hardly involve themselves in criminal activities such as pipeline vandalism, which is causing colossal economic and environmental damage to the country.

While emphasizing the need for girls to take science and tech education seriously, the Governor urged them not to be intimidated by their male counterparts, adding that with capacity the sky would be their limit.

Governor Diri expressed delight at the impressive performance of the students and thanked the organizers and sponsors of the school quiz programme, including Zenith Bank, United Nations Consulate General, Lagos and IGNITE, a non governmental organizations.

The Governor, who doled out cash awards to the schools that clinched the first, second, third and fourth positions, urged them not to rest on their oars but rather prepare seriously for the next edition of the programme, which will be expanded to include male students.

His words: "I want to encourage Shell, Aiteo and other IOCs to join our government and other sponsors to improve on what we are doing in education.

"If you don't train the children and youth to be involved in creative and productive ventures, you will be training them to be involved in crime and criminality because nature does not allow vacuum.

"And so, the oil companies must be happy and flamboyant about taking our crude oil without making contributions towards the welfare and development of our students and youths.

"The more they put their money in this kind of positive ventures, the more they will spare the breaking of their pipelines because those who fail to make positive and innovative change possible, make disastrous change inevitable", he warned.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Gentle Emelah, underscored the importance of the programme, saying it would promote healthy competition among students and catalyze the growth of science and technology in the state.

According to Dr Emelah, his ministry has introduced technology as a subject into primary schools curriculum as well as using it to monitor what is happening in schools across the state.

While calling for more sponsors, the Education Commissioner informed that the ministry "is currently working on a partnership deal with Microsoft" to revolutionize the education system of the state, especially in terms of technology.

In their separate remarks, the Manager of Zenith Bank, Amarata Branch, Mr Kenneth Iroakazi, and the Executive Director, Inspiring Girls Now in Technology Evolution, IGNITE, Chichi Okafor, expressed determination to work with the state government to promote education in the state.

Okafor noted that unless proactive measures were taken, many girls would be unable to get jobs in the future, as most of them will be technology and engineering based.

For over two weeks, female students from twenty selected secondary schools engaged their counterparts in the  Tech-Champ' Science Quiz competition which was organised by Ignite Nigeria in conjunction with the Bayelsa State ministry of education.

The competition which ended on Monday saw the emergence of the state-owned model secondary school, Ijaw National Academy, Kaiama as the overall winner.

A private secondary school, Best Breed International School, Yenagoa and the Federal Government Girls College, Odi emerged first and second runners up.

Highpoint of the ceremony was the presentation of prizes to winners in various categories of the female competition.

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