Delta Commissioner For Science And Technology Under Fire From 2021 ICT Programme Participants

By Binebai Princewill 

Participants of the Delta State 2021 Information and Technology  (ICT) Programme have written a strong worded open letter to His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State on the need to call his commissioner for Science and Technology, Delta State to order.

This was contained in an open letter signed and made available to newsmen in Warri recently by Boss Kene-ere on behalf of the group,  a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspapers Worldwide. 

The open letter had decried that despite the rigorous processes during the training, this is months after, there has been nothing like their empowerment packages and starter packs as the commissioner have continued to remain mute on their packages. 

While calling on the Governor to intervene, the letter had noted that the Delta State ministry of science and technology under its commissioner is allegedly working hard to jeopardize the efforts of the Governor to empower youths to be self reliant in the state. 

The letter reads below:

OPEN LETTER TO THE Governor of  Delta State,Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, by the participants of the 2021 ICT program.

Your Excellency Sir,

The wealth creation and empowerment initiative of your administration have been nothing but exceptional. Just as a mustard seed is sown, it has grown into a mighty oak bringing relief and support to thousands of Deltans. it is like a roaring Canon that is being heard at the nooks and crannies of every state in Nigeria and have received a lot of accolades. This initiative deserve a million commendation. On behalf of the thousands whose lives have been shaped positively, we say thank you sir.  

The positive reviews of your initiatives made us to blindly go through rigorous pre entry examination requirements into the Science and Technology empowerment intiatives, trusting the government and the processes. It is rather unfortunate that some elements are trying to sabotage your great wealth creation initiatives and bring it to disrepute via endless propaganda, insiatiable greed, deep rooted corruption and trailer loads of flimsy excuses.

The ministry of Science and Technology is working tiredlessly to drag your good name to the mud for their personal gains and greed by withholding our empowerment kits for months. 

The empowerment kits was to help harness our skills and put to practise what we have learnt but it is such a shame that our dreams are being trampled upon by those who you trusted with the position to help harness our dreams and aspirations. 

The program and his initiative was hijacked from it’s inception. The monthly stipends were deducted and paid in Cash, the last month stipends was not paid and the bags shared was of very very low quality. The training was also incomplete for most participants as their practicals was cancelled for no reasons. Most of the facilitators were also inexperienced.

Despite the shortfalls, our resilience made us push through as we were determined to be techpreneurs that will shape the state and by extension, Nigeria.

After the program, we reached out to the commissioner on several occasions for our employment kits and startup Capital but she has deploy all means to bully us to silence by bribing some of our colleague with cash in Warri and Asaba. November end, we did planned a peaceful protest to the Government House; with some converging at the venue but once again it was sabotaged by the commissioner of science and technology with help from her colleagues. 

Our demands are simple and plain Sir; we just need our starter packs and startup Capital to be able to thrive in our field as ICT skills demands daily computation, consistent coding and practises for it to be harnessed. 

We understand that you have spent a lot of resources on our training and it will be unfair on your administration if such great efforts are wasted, just to enrich the facilitators of the programs and the personal pockets of those who are trying to sabotage your good name, without fulfilling the purpose of enhancing the ICT sector of Delta state.

We trust that you will address this issue with swiftness and put the vision you have for Delta youths right on track with your professionalism and good Governance. We wish you all the best in your tenure and thank you for all you are doing for Delta State.

Signed 

Boss Kene-ere