Delta State Governor Urges Students To Acquire Skills

The Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has urged students in the state to acquire skills, stressing that having a certificate on its own does not guarantee university graduates a good life.
This was contained in the Governor’s remark during the 4th edition of the one day entrepreneurship awareness/sensitization seminar tagged: “Even a Professor Needs a Skill”, organized by Comrade Ezekiel Okoh, Political Aide to the Governor on Students Affairs and Comrade Ossai Ovie Success, Political Aide to the Governor on Special Duties (Media), at Delta State University, Abraka.
Dr. Okowa who was ably represented by the Chief of Staff, Hon. Tam Birisibe, noted that the essence of the programme was to prevent undergraduates in the state from ending up in the unemployed group like many others that are still in search of a job many years after graduating.
Hon. Birisibe stressed that times have changed, adding that in the past, a graduate before going for national service had a job offer waiting.
He said: “In the 60s in Nigeria, if you were a university graduate, the day you start working, the companies that sell cars will come to your office and give you the keys to a Peugeot and Volkswagen cars for you to test drive for 3 or 4 days and if you like the car, they will sell it to you.
“You had the opportunity of taking a loan then and paying it off in 3 years. These things do not happen anymore. These days if you wait for a job from the government or a company after graduating, you would end up waiting for up to 10 years.”
“This idea to organize this awareness seminar from the office of the governor is a laudable one,” he averred.
He narrated how a qualified medical doctor has become a sought after baker where he bakes cakes used during occasions like wedding ceremonies, where clients are to book three months to their event because of his large base of customers.
This example he said should inspire students to start pursuing developing skills and not just passionate about obtaining a degree only, as making a living is not only about having a certificate.

By Daniel Dafe