Our investments in education, health are paying off – Gov Dickson
…assures on the opening of more health facilities, model sec. schools
Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson on Monday said the substantial investments the government was making in the health sector has paid off, as the Government House Specialist Hospital recently performed a vascular recanalization surgery, the first of its kind in the south-south zone performed on a diabetic patient.
Describing the projects and programmes in the sector as unprecedented, Governor Dickson also assured that, a number of health facilities would be completed and put to use by next year.
He said some of such projects include, the 500-bed Melford Okilo Memorial Hospital, referral hospitals in Sagbama and Ekeremor local government areas, which when completed, would complement his administration’s efforts at meeting the healthcare needs of the people.
The Governor stated this in Yenagoa, while speaking on a wide range of issues during a live radio and television Interview programme.
According to him, the government is poised to embark on the construction of health facilities in each of the 105 wards in the state, towards boosting healthcare delivery in the rural areas.
Responding to issues raised in the education sector, Governor Dickson identified the dysfunctional educational system, as responsible for the upsurge in crime rate in the society.
His words: “By all analysis, we have two and half years to go. Bayelsa State has the best public secondary schools equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and we have not yet concluded plans in the education sector. We want to improve on our rating in WAEC. Our recent rating in WAEC is an index of our performance in education.”
Highlighting his achievements in the education sector, the Governor expressed his administration’s desire to moving the state to the number one position in the area of education in the country as well as invest in building the state’s manpower base.
Accordingly, the Governor announced that this month, the Bishop Dimeari Grammer School will commence academic activities, just as the model secondary schools in Oporoma and Ukubie are set to take off.
On road infrastructure, Governor Dickson also expressed the government’s determination to make Aleibiri accessible by road, stating that, the contractor handling the project would stabilize the road by the end of this year.
The Governor, who was reacting to issues in local government administration, hinted that, by next year, local government elections would be conducted, attributing the delay to financial constraints.