Bayelsa Education Fund Committee advocates more funding

The Publicity and Sensitisation Committee of the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) has advocated review of the fund’s enabling laws to expand the scope of the fund.

Chief Fidelis Agbiki, Chairman, Publicity and Sensitisation Committee of the EDTF spoke on Wednesday, during a visit to the Federated Correspondents Chapel in Yenagoa.

Agbiki was responding to a question on the review of the EDTF establishment law, observed that the fund has operated within the limits of its enabling laws.

Agbiki noted that the board of the EDTF as currently constituted was restricted to intervening in limited situations.

He noted that having operated for close to eight years, there was need to review the scope of the fund and make more resources available to enable the EDTF to do more.

According to Agbiki, the EDTF is saddled with the responsibility of funding the 13 Model Secondary Schools across Bayelsa.

He explained that the operations of the EDTF has uplifted the status of Bayelsa from an educationally disadvantaged state to being amongst the first three amongst the 36 states of the Federation.

He commended the support of the media in the fund’s advocacy as well as publicising the fund’s intervention projects which includes training of teachers, provision of potable water to public schools.

He also said that the fund engaged in provision of research grants to researchers in tertiary institutions.

He attributed the successes recorded by the EDTF to the composition of the fund by eminent personalities of integrity with passion for education.