…donates computer centres, Internet bandwidths
Odahiekwu Ogunde, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Educational Trust Fund has funded the establishment of a computer-based testing centre at the University of Africa, Toru-Orua in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
The fund, which is an intervention agency, also funded Internet bandwidth for the state-owned Niger Delta University, Amasomma, to meet the needs of staff and students of the institution.
Chairman of BSETF, Prof. Turner Isoun, stated this on Thursday while giving account of stewardship of the board for the past three and a half years.
He noted with satisfaction the achievements of the fund, stating that over 5,000 school children were being fed on the free boarding school programme of the state government.
He stressed that the scheme was aimed at ensuring quality education.
Isoun revealed that 15 teachers were currently being trained at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State, to enable them to specialise in the teaching of physically-challenged children.
The chairman, who was the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State and former Minister of Science and Technology, noted that the challenges of the fund was the inability of the people to fulfil their obligations to the BSETF, adding that the people should own up the education sector for the good of the society.
He stated, “There is no country in the world that has solved the educational needs of their people without intervention from other agencies. Education is key to poverty alleviation, Education is a key for prosperity and sustainable development.
“Our agency is the only one that first carried out a retreat of post-COVID to appraise the situation and carry out our mandate without any hiccups.”
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Alice Atuwo, said the computer-based test centre is to accommodate 300 students, adding that some laboratory equipment was also provided at the Bayelsa State Medical University on Imgbi Road, Yenagoa.
She further emphasised that the BSETF also supported the Bayelsa State Scholarship Board to enable Bayelsans, who are qualified, to get scholarship for their education by accessing the needed funds.