Two Areas With Significant Global Impacts That Ijaw Leaders Got It Right

WISDOM ONIEKPAR IKULI 

Seventy percent of goods that control global economy are transported through the sea.

The vast wealth of every nation with oceans and seas are domiciled in the marine.

Therefore, the agitation for the establishment of the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) at Okerenkoko in Delta State is one of the best decisions and achievements of Ijaw leaders.

In the near future, Ijaws shall play dominant roles in the marine sector and the above shall translate to unquantifiable wealth for Ijaws and the Ijaw Nation in general.

The second but very important too is the establishment of the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) in Bayelsa State.

The relevance or importance of medicine in our contemporary society cannot be overemphasized. But very importantly is the fact medical personnel are some of the highest demands globally due to prevalence of sicknesses, epidemics and others.

Statistics shows that there are over 25,000 Nigerian medical doctors in the United States of America alone. We also have high number of Nigerian medical doctors in the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries of the world.

All over the world, there is high demand for medical personnel and Nigeria despite prevalent challenges in the education system, produces some of the best Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses, Laboratory Technicians, etc.

The idea behind the establishment of the Bayelsa Medical University by the Henry Seriake Dickson administration and the excellent work that the present ASSURED Prosperity Administration is doing to give BMU, the best attention is highly commendable.

In the near future, Bayelsa State shall export hundreds and thousands of Medical Personnel and get foreign exchange and high diaspora remittance. They shall be expatriating unimaginable volume of money back to Bayelsa State.

I therefore wish to use this opportunity to commend, appreciate and celebrate Ijaw leaders for the wisdom and courage in pushing the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) which is a federal government owned university and the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) that is a state government owned university.

Moving forward, our people should make deliberate efforts to ensure that the best brains from these schools are given strategic pushes to get to the pinnacle of their given careers. None of them should be allowed to end at First Degree or Masters, they should get to the highest echelon.

Ijaw leaders should make deliberate efforts to build global champions who will serve as worthy Ambassadors of the Ijaw Nation at the global arena.

– Hon. Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli