By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Government is to set up a world-class Sports Academy equipped with state-of-the arts facilities.

Governor Seriake Dickson disclosed this while speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of five new Special Advisers at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Yenagoa.

The governor,  who observed that the state has comparative advantage in a number of sporting events, said when completed, the Sports Academy would provide the youths of the state the opportunity to acquire formal education as well as develop their skills in sporting activities.

He also disclosed that government has sent a bill to the State House of Assembly to re-establish the State College of Arts and Science (BYCAS), that was scrapped by the previous administration.

Governor Dickson, who noted that government has secured a temporary site for the institution, also announced that the State College of Education sited at Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area of the state, will be transformed and made functional.

While noting that an educational policy will be formulated to transform the education sub-sector, Dickson said everything would be done to ensure that all courses at the Niger Delta University (NDU) not yet accredited, would secure accreditation and that efforts would be made to upgrade its facilities.

The governor pointed out that all these efforts, geared towards addressing the decadence in the educational sector, for which a state of emergency has been declared, were part of the restoration agenda of the present administration.

He charged the Special Advisers to place service above selfish interests in the discharge of their duties and expressed confidence in their competence to assist government in actualizing the restoration agenda for the state.

Hon. Dickson, who welcomed the Special Advisers to the restoration team, reminded them of the paradigm shift in governance culture and value re-orientation of the new administration.

Governor Dickson used the opportunity of the swearing-in ceremony to explain that the appointment of three Special Advisers on education alone, was a deliberate policy anchored on the present administration’s desire to revitalize the educational sector that was in a comatose state.

The Special Advisers are Barr. Kemasuode Wodu (Legal Matters and Chief Counsel Government House): Chief Blessing Ipigansi Izagara (Information, Communication, Technology and Data) and Mr. Parkinson MacManuel (Secondary Education).

Others are Mr. MacDonald Igobasi (Primary Education) and Dr Godwill Ziriki-(Tertiary Education)