The President General of notable Niger Delta socio-cultural group, the Orashi National Congress, ONC, Amb Comrade Emeni Ibe (JP AP), has endorsed the call for the establishment of a Technical College in Ogbele Community.
The call was made during the Students Parliament’s Extra-Ordinary Congress held on Sunday in Odiabidi Community, where student leaders deliberated on the growing mismatch between available educational institutions and employment opportunities within the kingdom.
Amb Ibe, while endorsing the call said, “The call for the establishment of a Technical College in Ogbele Community is a welcome development, very impressive and commendable. Just like noted in the call, the area is dominated by grammar schools and general secondary institutions, while the surrounding environment is heavily an industrialized ambience. Ogbele and neighbouring communities host several multinational and indigenous companies operating in sectors such as oil and gas, construction, fabrication, and other technical fields. But the youths from the area remain largely underrepresented in their workforce”.
“In Ogbele and the rest of the communities around our region, the job opportunities available are industrial and technical in nature. For that reason, only few of our people are engaged by the multinational companies operating in our region because our youths lack relevant technical skills. We must therefore, bridge the gap and that’s why I am endorsing the call for the establishment of a technical college in Ogbele.”
“It must be noted that the establishment of a technical college would expose our young minds to vocational and technical education at very early stages, assisting them to make informed career choices that align with the needs of a modern society.”
“Proactively looking at the future of youths in our region, the establishment of a technical college will not just reduce the rate of unemployment but will curb youth restiveness and a whole lot of social vices in the society.”
“I therefore, call on the Federal Government, the Rivers State Government, the Ministry of Education, our Distinguished Senators, Honourable Members of the Federal House of Representatives and State Assembly, to as a matter of urgency look in this direction for urgent attention. The multinationals, oil and gas companies operating in the area can equally assist with the establishment of the college as part of Corporate Social Responsibility. Prominent sons and daughters of the region can equally make a strong push for the realization of the technical college in our area with the future of the region in mind.”