The governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP), for the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, Mr. Olumide Akpata, has called for a review of the country’s education curriculum, saying that any child not taught technology in today’s world would be a functional illiterate.
Akpata made the call while speaking to journalists on his programme for the state during his visit to the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin City, Edo State.
While decrying the deplorable state of schools in the state, Akpata promised to overhaul education and in particular, pledged to restore the glory of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), describing the state of the university as a disaster.
He was just as he bemoaned the bad condition of roads across the state and promised to fix them if elected, saying “We have a problem as far as the roads are concerned. Labour Party is here for the rescue, we have a plan”.
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Akpata who gave the monthly internal revenue and Federal allocation of the state as N16 billion and debt profile as N600 billion, described the building of a museum by the state government as a misplaced priority, just as he also described government investment in a five star hotel as error of judgment.
He said his administration would put the people at the centre of governance, adding that currently the people have been taken out of government equation.
The LP assured that if voted for, his administration would revamp the health sector and build healthcare centres in all the 192 wards of the state to provide quality healthcare for the people.
He submitted that the eight-year administration of the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki had no legacy project to show.
The LP flag bearer expressed support for local government autonomy, stressing that it would enhance the development of the rural areas because it is closer to the people.
He, however, insisted that local government chairmen and councillors must be domiciled in their local government areas.
Akpata while extolling the role of journalists in nation building, called on them to continue in that spirit and help lift the country which he said was currently on its knees.