By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
A gubernatorial Aspirant on the platform of the Labour Party,in the Edo 2024 election, Ogbemudia Bassey Osagie has promised to introduce the Vocational programme in the educational system in the state if given the ticket to rule.
Ogbemudia stated this while speaking with journalists in Benin City On the poor state of the educational system in the state.
The gubernatorial Aspirant said , What I saw in the schools was very sad. There are no chairs , no taste , we need vocational programme. “I will make sure our people are trained in vocational skills. We have to give them the right education. For us to move forward we have to educate our people on more issue. Let them know what is right and wrong.
“Most of our people has lost ethical values , in Canada children are trained beginning from their primary school period ,I will certainly make a good change if elected as governor.
He said, I think what the Government are doing is to pick one thing to draw public attention and they emphasized so much on it. How do you build ICT, in Canada children are thought coding in the elementary school. From primary school years start teaching them. we have to change the curriculum.
Ogbemudia said , from stage of secondary school you begin to identify them with their various skills. Those who want to be a carpenter, Doctor, Engineer those who want to be Medical Doctor goes to the University. In Canada you cannot be a painter or learn any trade without going to high school.
Because once you become specialize in those trade they want you to know how to manage the business, like save money and invest properly and grow.
I believe that in the first four years, we will set up a good institution and make it work. In that case when you are leaving you bring in succession. Bring in people who have been in the system with you. If you are able to lay the foundation in the first four years, thereafter you start building on the foundation and you see things working out effectively the next person that will take over will certainly come from the system. You select people to take over from you based on capacity.
He further stated that, Before then the people would have known what is good and bad, If some is trying to do something differently, they are not fighting now because they do not know what is good or bad. If someone is trying to do something differently, that is not good they will cry out and say this is not what we are use to and they fight for their right that is good.
Good institution that covers everything is what you need. It will be very difficult for one person to come in and discard it.We do not have data of people in Edo State. We must create that quickly.
It is because the youths are idle is the reason they involve in thuggery. unemployment rate in Edo State is very high because there is no job our people are suffering. The leaders have stolen everything will have. A lot of them are not able to go to school, a lot of them have no hope. What do you expect them to do but by the time you have a good government and people educated and get jobs at the end, things will become better. If you are engage and you are busy you will not have time to engage in bad things. People join gang to survive and also out of fear. Because they are looking for protection.
Every crime have a social implication, either poverty maybe your family are not educated. Another big problem among the youths is these drug addict. Many of these youths unless we have a responsible government to find a solution we are going to have a big problem in future. This drug addict can lead to mental health
If you look at the deficiency on all parts of our life things are not done rightly by the government unless we start taking all these issues one by one it will be difficult.
For us to grow we will bring in private public partnership ,we have to diverse our economy. First of all we have to provide security so that everyone can go about his activities without any hitch including the farmers that are having problem with herdsmen.
Also you need to give the young people access to some finance, grant, loans to give them opportunity to improve on their farms and get more money for their produce. We have to provide some training for them in the area of mechanization. Providing fertilizer for farmers is not enough. If you provide it for them without knowing how to use it.