ByAmadi Ogbonnaya

In line with Governor Timipre Sylva’s education policy to raise human capacity development, no fewer than 23 Bayelsan indigenes recently graduated from the Belarussian University.

To celebrate the day, the Governor, who could not make the trip, sent a powerful delegation led by Mr. Whyte Durban, Director, Science Technology and Higher Education; Mrs. Atonye Pekene, Secretary, Bayelsa State Scholarship Board; Waripamo Martin, Assistant Director, Foreign Awards Scholarship Board; Mike.B. Olomu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs, and Barrister Oyanbo Peace Owei, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media and Social Networking.

Speaking through a telephone call, Governor Sylva who commended the students for their hitch-free stay in the East European country and for making Bayelsa proud with their achievements pledged to take them on a tour of the state’s health facilities on arrival and that he would welcome their suggestions and advice.

The President of the Bayelsa State Scholarship Students in Belarus, Enarebebe Ebiowei Robinson, on behalf of the students, presented an award to the Governor for his initiatives in the education sector saying, “These well-trained doctors are going to change the face of the health care sector in Bayelsa as well as Nigeria.They have been well-acquitted with the best training available to an aspiring medical practitioner anywhere in the world.”

Interestingly, last year, over 100 students equally graduated in the 2009/2010 academic year in Russia and Belarus; 11 were of post graduate category, while another 50 was from Kursk State Medical University.

Amongst them were 40 medical doctors, out of which two graduated with first class honours and were subsequently offered automatic post graduate scholarship by Governor Sylva to continue their education to any level.