by crossriverwatch admin
The youths in the nine states of the oil rich Niger Delta region have demanded for free education as of right from the governors of the Niger Delta States.
Making their demand known at the ongoing Niger Delta Stakeholders Conference in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital, the President of the Niger Delta Youth and Stakeholders Forum, Comrade Felix Ihonre, said free education at all levels for the youths of Niger Delta has become a necessity.
The youth leader said with the huge resources given to the states and local governments in the Niger Delta states, there is need to arrest the minds of the youths of the region and develop their skills with free and quality education.
He called on the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and other intervention agencies in the region to develop a common master plan on free education policy for the youth of the region.
“We call on the governors of Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Ondo, and Abia state to emulate what their counterpart in Imo and Akwa Ibom state are doing on free education policy and work with the Ministry of Niger Delta to collaborate on common policy thrust in the interest of development”.
“If you develop the infrastructures alone without human development, the story will still be the same. We as the leaders of tomorrow will not hesitate to put our leaders on their toes to set the pace for us because it is our right to ask if they choose not to give us” Ihonre said.
He commended the Ministry of Niger Delta for organizing the conference and demanded that the Ministry should develop a youth charter that will guarantee the overall interest of the youth in the region, stressing that the charter if established will go a long way to train and retrain the youths of the region on skills and vocations periodically.
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