The Bayelsa State Government has offered automatic
employment to 107 doctoral holders as well as 200 master degree holders who
have concluded their doctoral and masters’ degree programmes in various
universities across the world.
While giving the approval on Sunday, state Governor, Seriake
Dickson, also announced automatic employment for all medical doctors,
pharmacists and public health specialists and other beneficiaries of the state scholarship
scheme who studied professional courses considered critical to the state.
A statement by Dickson's Special Adviser on Media
Relations, Fidelis Soriwei, said the 107 doctoral holders, who are
beneficiaries of the state scholarship scheme, would be deployed in the three
state-owned universities-the Niger Delta University, University of Africa and
the Bayelsa Medical University as lecturers.
He also stated that other products of the scheme
who studied medicine and other professional courses at master degree level
would be engaged by the state government in the various medical facilities and
the civil service respectively.
Many of the beneficiaries were from Electrical/Electronic
Engineering, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Engineering, International Relations,
Pharmacy Practice, Public Health, Computing and Electronics System, Gas Turbine
Engineering, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Law and Management and
Statistics.
The governor noted that the state scholarship scheme
which was designed to send an army of Bayelsa State scholars to universities
across the globe came with heavy sacrifice and cost to the government.
He said: "Those who woke up early and embraced
education have taken over everywhere. This is our own way of equipping our
people to be able to tackle the existential challenges facing us today.
“The cost is quite huge but no matter the cost,
this is the right way to go. I don’t need to know anyone of you to be given the
opportunity and encouraged to study abroad.
“While it is good to build roads, hospitals,
edifices for the state, investments in human capacity is the most important.
All the others can collapse but the investment in human capacity development
will endure.
“I had the intention to send out an army of
scholars across the globe but the recession stalled that plan. Several programmes,
including the scheme suffered stagnation as a result of the recession, the
worst in the history of our country," he stated.
The governor assured beneficiaries of the
scholarship scheme still in various universities within and outside the country
that the state government would ensure the release of funds next week to
gradually address the issues of outstanding bills in the various which are host
to them.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries who studied
for doctorate, Dr. Jude Cocodia, a lecturer at the Niger Delta University,
commended the governor for his bold revolution in the education sector in the
state.
He said the state was already feeling the positive
impacts of years of sustained investments in education especially at the NDU
which is host to a large number of the beneficiaries.
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