Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has urged the host of a new model school to safeguard the facility to ensure sustainable development and socio-economic growth of the area.
Governor Emmanuel spoke while inaugurating the Model Primary School, Awa Ubium project executed in partnership with Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
The school project comprises basic 9, Pre-Primary, Primary and Junior Secondary JS1- JS3, in ONNA Local Government Area.
The governor who expressed satisfaction with the quality of the project underscored the imperative of Awa Ubium community to take ownership of the project, pointing out that to sustain the project the community should be actively involved in providing necessary care and security to safeguard the project from vandals, theft and rot, in order to preserve the project for maximum benefits.
Represented at the event by the Head of Civil Service, Effiong Essien, the governor noted that the Model School will offer qualitative learning to students, as the government has put in place adequate facilities, laboratories, library and a serene environment that will equip students with knowledge and prepare them for the future.
The governor said: “I thank the village head for saying that the community will take ownership and good care of this project.
“One of the indices of sustainable development is ownership of a project and a facility like this, and when the community takes ownership of this project, by ownership I mean something that you care for, you own, you watch over it, you don’t allow anybody tamper with it, that will lead to sustainable development.
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‘’Sustainable development means using what you have today to the best of your ability and leaving it in a better state for the future generation, so when you do so you will sustain this project in such a way that our unborn children will meet and make good use of the facility.
“What I have seen here is a splendid project to save our basic education, the pre-primary, primary and the junior secondary 3 is lovely to behold’’.
The governor urged the head teacher to make good use of the facilities and recreation to give pupils the best in academic excellence and expressed optimism that students will appreciate the government’s gesture by taking their studies seriously saying, “this beautiful project is in your hands, you are to make the best use of the facilities here. I want to believe the students will appreciate what the government has done in this school’’.
He however thanked the community for cooperation and support given to the contractors and Universal Basic Education Commission, and assured that the state government will ensure furnishing of the school.
The State Government officially received the Model Basic School from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Idongesit Etiebet, commissioner, ministry of education, Akwa Ibom State, in her remarks, lauded the visionary leadership of Emmanuel to advance education in the state and appreciated Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for the partnership with Akwa Ibom State Government in repositioning education for Akwa Ibom people.
The Acting Chairman Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in the State, Iniobong Akpan, in a welcome remark thanked Governor Udom Emmanuel for the milestone recorded in the education sector, describing the project as the beginning of the future for Akwa Ibom children.
In a goodwill message, the Village Head of Afaha Ubium, Samuel Adiakpan, expressed gratitude to Governor Udom Emmanuel for building the model school in the community and assured of safeguarding the property for the benefit of children in the community.
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