*Laments Rising School Dropout In Bayelsa,
By Sampson Boroh
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 16th election in Bayelsa State, David Lyon has faulted the education policy of the Peoples Democratic Party-led administration of Governor Seriake Dickson in the state.
Lyon said the policy has given rise to the growing number of school dropouts across the state but promised to address the anomalies if elected by the people of the state in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
He lamented that the high cost of school fees in tertiary institutions particularly the State-owned Niger Delta University in Amassoma was discouraging youths in the state for taking higher education in the state.
The APC candidate accused the Governor Dickson-led government of systematically destroying NDU which he claimed was supposed to be the citadel of tertiary education for Ijaw Nation but alleged that the school has been bastardized by ‘unfriendly’ policies by Dickson’s administration.
He stated this at Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Area of the state when his campaign train stormed the university on Saturday.
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While describing the institution as the pride of the Ijaw race, lamented the roof-top school fees slammed on students of the institution by the PDP government.
According to him, hike in school fees had resulted in many indigenes of the state dropping out of schools and in turn turning the state to breeding ground for touts and hooligans.
Lyon said he was deeply touched by the plight of the students of NDU and promised to pay outstanding bursary arrears and ensure the institution occupy its pride of place in his government when elected into power come November 16th.
He lamented that so many prominent Ijaw sons had died in the struggle to liberate the Ijaw man from abject poverty and observed one minute silence in honour of the first Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Late Chief Diepreye Solomon Peters Alameisegha as well as the three youths who died while on a protest against increase of school fees and the sacking of workers of NDU.
The APC standard bearer accused the PDP government of executing innumerable cruel policies in the state, pointing out that the people of the state are faced with severe hardship and he has come to put a stop to the widespread poverty.
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“Most people can no longer afford school fees for their children and wards as a result of salary deductions and non-payment of pension arrears. This situation will be normalised when my administration comes on board,” he said.
According to him, the security challenges and the poor management of state resources have forced so many businesses to close down saying, “The problem of insecurity will require the support of the youths, women and traditional rulers to get rid of and together, we can put a stop to it”
The APC flag bearer also assured the people of Otuan community that victory at the polls on the 16th of November was for the people of Southern Ijaw, saying that he is one of them and feels the pains and sorrows the PDP government has inflicted on them.
