By Bassey Bassey
Uyo – A former UNDP Advisor, Dr Val Attah, has told the Akwa Ibom Government to build additional technical colleges in the state to inculcate skills in youths.
Attah, who was the UNDP Advisor in-charge of Nigeria’s South South, gave the advice on Thursday in Uyo while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on measures to reduce unemployment.
“Education is very important, technical education should be brought up again, the middle manpower from technical schools, which was destroyed should be revived,” he recommended.
Attah, who lauded Gov. Udom Emmanuel for bringing entrepreneurship spirit into governance, advised the governor to develop the technical skills of his people.
He argued that skills acquisition was a veritable way of curbing unemployment, youth restiveness and crimes in the society.
“The ministry of economic development has to be strengthened so that we know the manpower needs of the state.
“There is no need having a first-class airport without enough personnel from the state to drive it. Nobody can drive your state for you, development must be driven by the people.
“Like the airport, we require pilots and other technical personnel. We don’t have to bring in people outside to determine our destiny,” Attah stated.
NAN reports that Akwa Ibom has a total of 250 public secondary and commercial schools with only seven public technical colleges that are owned by the State Government.
Attah, who is also a retired permanent secretary in the state and currently chairman of the local government service commission, however, commended Emmanuel for his industrialisation drive.
The former UNDP chief said that development must centre on people in the developing countries, advising Akwa Ibom people to embrace the “rise up” philosophy of the governor.
Attah pointed out that the governor had done well to block areas of financial leakages and wastes of public funds in the state.
He, however, urged the State Government to do more in generating more revenue internally, to reduce over-dependence on revenues from the federation account.
Attah advised further that all empowerment programmes should target the productive poor in rural areas of the state.