Ejakpovi Scores Okowa High In Youth Devt

THE Chairman, Governing Council of the Delta State School of Health Technology, Ofuoma-Ughelli, Dr. Nelson Ejakpovi has scored Governor Ifeanyi Okowa high in

preparing the youths for a brighter future by investing heavily in education.

Dr. Ejakpovi in an interview with journalists stated that the empowerment programmes of the Governor Okowa administration, where the youths are trained, equipped, monitored and mentored to succeed in their chosen fields were preparing for a future where such youths will be entrepreneurs and make the state the business hub of the country.

“Our governor has empowered so many youths through the skill acquisition programmes; these youths will become successful businessmen and women tomorrow, but, most importantly, it has ensured that the youths are engaged, which has tackled to a great extent, security challenges because, you know, if they (the youths) are not engaged, the security of you and I will be jeopardised.”

He continued, “in the formal sector, the governor has done a lot to ensure that the courses offered by institutions of higher learning in the state gets accredited and I can attest to the fact that the School of Health Technology, Ofuoma is one of the beneficiaries; he released funds for us to get equipment for the courses offered by the school to be accredited and as a governing council that has keyed into the prosperity agenda, we have also renovated classroom blocks and ensured that the school has a well equipped e-library.”

“I happen to be in the medical field as a pharmacist and we know that every day, there is a new breakthrough with research, so, we took it as a challenge and knowing that NABTEB also has it as a requirement for accreditation, although costly and it was not part of what we sent to government for approval, we had to look inward and to the glory of God, today, the school is the only institution in the state that has a full fledged functional e-library with near 50 computers,” Dr. Ejakpovi said, adding that to boost revenue of the institution in line with economic reality, school fees in the school was increased from N20, 000 per session to N27, 000.

According to him, “giving today’s economic reality, we looked at what was on ground and what the students were paying, which was N20, 000 per session, we agreed that it was unrealistic because, this N20, 000, if I may spell it out for you is not necessarily for developmental projects alone in the school, it includes, examination fees, development levy, sports, medical, laboratory, entrepreneurship and several others; we have computerised everything in the school from the sales of forms to the collection of results to reduce malpractices, so, we had to have a good computer department not only to check all these things, but to get the students to be computer literate; in line with 21st century ICT, the fees was increased to N35, 000 but, there was a break in communication and the students reacted, we called them to a meeting and bearing in mind that Governor Okowa’s administration believes in affordable education, the school fees was reduced to N27, 000 per session which is less than N15, 000 per semester, making the school the cheapest in the country.”

Dr. Ejakpovi who said that Governor Okowa’s administration has performed more than 80 per cent of expectations, reiterated, “we intend to move the School of Health Technology beyond monotechnic status to enable it enjoy certain benefits and as we are talking, the government is already working on a bill to make it a full fledged College of Health Sciences and Technology and it will be a win win situation for everybody because, with the bill, we will diversify, some business courses will be offered in the school and we will have faculties and open the institution as a research centre.”

“We thank the Governor Okowa administration for encouraging us because, we are aware that other institutions of higher learning are also, getting the same attention,” Dr. Ejakpovi emphasised.