Educational standards in Nigeria urgently needs a review -PDP presidential aspirant Dr Bishop Igomu 

By Golok Nanmwa ,Jos

Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP )in the forthcoming 2019 general elections Dr Bishop Igomu, has said the educational standards in Nigeria urgently needs  a review and upgrade to the world’s best standards that attract students and scholars to schools and institutions abroad. 

He made this known while speaking with newsmen in Jos the Plateau state capital  on Tuesday .

Our correspondent reports that Dr Igomu a medical doctor by training hails from Benue state .

“The youths of the country have all it takes to take Nigeria higher .

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In his words ” if elected “From Early Child Education, Elementary, Secondary and Tertiary levels, my administration will pursue and adopt all aspects of the educational system that works in these  countries across the world “. Teachers and educational instructors across all levels will no longer have to wait their rewards in heaven”. We will achieve this by immensely improving on the basic needs and wants of our teachers, the infrastructural needs of all schools and institutions, and our society as a whole. My administration will not only curb skyrocketing tuitions, every student will automatically qualify for a federal students loans scheme that will cater for tuition and other fees. My administration will grant licenses without fees for the setting up of tertiary institutions as long as it meets set standards and codes. We will change and improve the ways we grade school kids and students and how examinations are administered across all educational and professional levels.”

 He also said he would make farming and agriculture fashionable  again if elected as President of Nigeria

According to him ” The era of farming small pieces of farmland the size of a football turf by lone farmers and their families, using simple tools like hoes and cutlasses will no longer dot the Nigerian landscape if i am elected as President of Nigeria

“The Agricultural ministry will operate out of 7-8 regional federal buildings, including Abuja, catering to the needs of individual farmers and all farmlands in Nigeria; assisting with federal funds, technical know-hows, hastening the adoption of modern and mechanized farming methods across the nation, identifying and developing potential farmlands for allocation to trained farmers.” The regional offices will also encourage the use of natural and man-made irrigations for all year round farming, the use of high yielding/disease resistant crop seeds and seedlings “. “These regional offices will also initiate the building of huge federal harvest processing and storage facilities, with rail tracks connecting all storage centers with farmlands, with other storage sites and with the rest of the country. Farming will no longer be the fallback-to occupation for majority of the rural dwellers. “These strategic plans to revitalize every subsets of the  agricultural sector of Nigeria will not only uplift and immensely improve the social and economic status of today’s impoverished farmers, rural dwellers, individuals and communities, it will also attract graduates and youths in general to view agriculture as the high paying jobs of the future.”

He also said Nigeria remains the largest economy in Africa. “For years, the people have yet to see this translate into economic power in form of good paying jobs, improved standards in living conditions, and reduced costs of living. “The costs of living in Nigeria is too high, over 100% increases in the prices of goods and services since the turn of the millennium” . if elected My administration will explore the full potentials that remain untapped in Agriculture, Mineral Resources, Petrochemicals, IT and Bio-Tech, Housing, Healthcare, and Industry. Nigeria should not be importing more than it exports. “The sheer size of Nigeria’s population is economic power. Nigeria’s internal economies alone should translate into the “Nigerian Dream” for its people.”  The rate of unemployment and sheer numbers of underemployed citizens is indicative of past  successive governments relying solely on an oil-based economy. This will be a thing of the past during my administration. “We will revert current economic indices from a raw material exporting economy to a manufacturing and processing of raw materials economy. Nigeria should largely be exporting refined petroleum products than exporting crude oil. Every major Nigerian city should boast of no fewer than two oil refineries. 

Dr Igomu further said ” My administration will  refurbish and reactivate supply pipelines of petroleum products crisscrossing the country to major Nigerian cities and neighboring countries. New ones will be built as well. The establishment and operation of futuristic “bullet” trains and railroads traversing  every major towns and cities and the West African sub-region. The dredging of the Niger and Benue rivers from the Atlantic Ocean is decades overdue. Imagine the massive boost in local economies for the States of Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Delta, Edo, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Rivers and Taraba; and by extension to surrounding States and the rest of the country when cruiseships, oceanliners and oil barges sail up- and down streams through the Niger-Delta into the heartlands of Nigeria, and the operations of multiple inland shipping ports along the lengths and breaths of the Niger/Benue Rivers and the Niger-Delta. “Made in Aba” will become the new “Made in China”. With the full weight of federal might behind it, providing initial technical, logistics and monetary supports, Aba will champion the craze for made in Nigeria goods and services that will take over regional, continental and possibly international markets. Kano will be reinstated to its former glory as the commerce destination for the Sahara and north Africa.  Airports in all 36 States and Abuja will not only be rebuilt and refurbished to futuristic standards but will also double as international free trading zones. All these will not be possible without the institution and respect for the rule of law, order and public safety.

He also said “If elected I would ensure that  Nigeria will assume its leadership role in Africa, and in the world, especially with issues that borders around the challenges of climate change and global warming. At the national and regional levels, my administration will apply proven long-term scientific solutions in tackling the damages caused by desertification, and the depletion of woodlands and rainforests. Protecting the land and waterways and the air we breath will be priority through the Environmental Protection Agency. Modernization of waste management and sewage treatment and disposal.  Extend assistance to other African countries by aiding with the protection of endangered wild life, and of the Congo rainforest which directly affects rainfall in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. The protection of our coastal seaboard against rising sea levels and erosion, and the mapping of the Niger-Delta tributaries for maritime navigations.”

Dr Igomu also said “Since the early 1980s, electric power generation has hovered between 3000 – 4000 MW. Total power generation today in Nigeria should be 300,000MW (300TW) and counting. Electricity is the very foundation for a meaningful economic boost across all sectors. On day-1 as President, I will explore and harness every aspects of electric power generation; wind, natural gas, nuclear, geothermal, hydro, coal and solar. A blueprint for a steady electric power across all 774 local government areas will be drafted by select teams of local and foreign experts and investors. The integrity of my administration will be staked on this. Due to its huge job creation potentials, my Presidency will guaranty exemptions from startup licencing fees to all local, state or private investors, whether local and foreign, and negotiate huge tax incentives to encourage active investment in Nigeria’s power and energy sectors.”

The PDP presidential aspirant  also called on the citizens of Nigeria to support his presidential aspiration as he is determined to better the lives of citizens of the county if elected as president 

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Educational standards in Nigeria urgently needs a review -PDP presidential aspirant Dr Bishop Igomu