The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Barrister Kenneth Gbagi has promised to ensure the removal of bottlenecks stifling the educational sector in Delta state.
Gbagi, a former minister of state for education, gave the assurance on Sunday February 19, 2023, at
<span;>Providence Delta Baptist Church Conference opposite New Glory along Agbarho/Ughelli Expressway, Ughelli north local government area of the state.
The largest private investor in the state reiterated that there is need to avoid these bottlenecks in order for the much anticipated improvement and strengthening of the educational system in the state to come to fruition.
He said his government would declare a state of emergency in the sector to produce graduates that could compete favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world.
He lamented the deteriorating situation of education in the state, insisting that Delta children now run to other states and countries to seek quality education whereas Delta was the best years ago.
He called on Deltans particularly parents and students of voting age to vote massively for SDP in the coming general elections to resolve the problems in the sector.
He said he would give free education to every Delta child from primary school to the university level and assured them that he would surely upgrade the education system of the state.
He assured that he would improve and strengthen the education system, to make it more accessible, and qualitative, saying that he would partner with critical stakeholders to carry out far-reaching reforms of the system.
He stressed that he would develop a knowledge-driven economy, one in which the generation of knowledge would play a predominant role in the creation of wealth.
Hear him: “I was a minister for about a year and I created 13 universities in Nigeria, I will change the education system in this state, I will turn it to a state of beauty and honey.
“The only solution we have to our suffering is industry. We need to industrialize. We need to industrialize the place. We need to make sure that the place gets employment for our youths and we need to make sure that all our dead companies are revived for us to move forward.
“It is in that vein that I have declared that because our people have been impoverished that I will declare free education for all our children to the university level”.
Speaking on pensioners and retirees plights in the state, the educationist, said: “I have said I will divide the pension problem into two phases. Phase number one, everybody who will retire from May 29, will get their cheque before they leave the office.
“All the backlogs that have not been paid over the years, we will put into a plan and start immediate payment. These money called pension and gratuity are not government money. It is the money they contributed.
“So, for you to deny them that money, God will deny you your own happiness. All our young children, I am going to computerize them, I will pay N30,000 monthly. While I am paying the N30, 000, I will give them employment.
“It is the duty of government to give its people employment. So, I will do that, I give you my word”, he assured.
