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Delta State has put in place measures to eradicate illiteracy among its citizens. The state deputy governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, SAN, stated this yesterday when the Chairman of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Dr. Esther Uduehi, led members of the commission on a courtesy visit to him at Government House Annex, Warri.

Utuama told the delegation that the state, by its policy, ensures that every child, from the point of conception to secondary school is well catered for, both medically and educationally and so should not grow up to be an illiterate.

He said: “Here in Delta State, through the policy of human capital development, which is part of the three point agenda of the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan administration, adequate provision has been made for every child in this state to grow up as a literate individual. From conception, the pregnant mother is given free ante-natal medical treatment, from birth to the age of five, he is given free medical treatment, from age one through primary and secondary school, and he is given free education. With this, we expect our citizens tomorrow to come out as literate citizens, who are adequately equipped to contribute their quota to the development of the state and the country in general.”

Earlier, Dr. Uduehi had told the deputy governor that the commission was on an advocacy drive to sensitise various government levels of the need to get the country’s one-third illiterate population to learn how to read and write.

“The slow progress towards mass literacy delivery in Nigeria is becoming very worrisome, leading to increased unemployment and poverty. Current statistics show that out of a population of 167 million Nigerians, over 56 million adults representing 35 per cent of the total population are illiterates,” she said.

•Photo shows Prof. Utuama.

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