A group of Nigerian Professionals, Godswill Akpabio Uncommon Transformational Support Organisation (GAUTSO) has described the former Governor and the current Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio as an advocate of quality education who will repeat and improve on what he did in Akwa Ibom State if given the opportunity to lead the country as President come 2023.
According to the spokesperson of the group, Chief Bennet Akah, before the emergence of Godswill Akapabio as Governor of the state known as Land of Promise, the general perception was that the indigenes of the state were only good enough to be housemaids, houseboys and cooks but he changed all that in just a few years at the helm.
Akpabio, he noted, did the magic as a man of vision by investing massively in education infrastructure, upgrading schools and then offering free education for students in both primary and secondary schools.
That was not all, he also encouraged vocational educational and training on soft skills.
“By extension, he helped to improve human capital development in the state, gave his people hope and a sense of belonging which are essentials that Nigerians need at the moment.
He continued “ “When he was governor, Senator Akpabio said and I quote “ the ultimate objective of my administration will be free and compulsory education policy to raise the literacy rate in the State to 99% in the next 10 years and produce a vibrant population of educated people and workforce for Nigeria.“
With the free and compulsory education programme, our state is sure of a literate and well empowered man power population that can defend their rights and make maximum contributions to the development of the state and the nation.”
‘The uncommon governor also said in the near future, Akwa Ibom would have a reservoir of skilled manpower that will be an answer to the national development problems; a manpower base that will help to do like Pakistan and India that are exporting technicians, technologists and computer engineers all over the world”
Akar stated further “For Akpabio, while pessimists in government see impossibilities, he is always seeing opportunities to change the lives of the people that is why our group believes that if elected the issue of lecturers strike in our Universities will be history because he has shown capacity like what he did with the expansion of the Akwa Ibom State University and transforming the Maritime Academy, Oron to a university.
“Again, as a detribalized Nigerian, the federal institution in Akwa Ibom was not left unattended under his watch, the University of Uyo , regained accreditation in 28 courses hitherto lost before he became governor , he added over 10 buildings while other infrastructural facilities were upgraded as well as tarred 3.5 kilometers of internal roads in the institution.
In summary, we are saying as a group that Akpabio is the answer to our perennial problem in our educational sector because has done it before and can to do it again.