Abasiama Umoh
A University Don and the immediate past Commissioner for Education, Akwa Ibom State, Prof. Victor Inoka, has commended Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State for his administration’s far reaching reforms in the educational sub-sector and the continued sustainability of the Free, Compulsory and Qualitative Education in the State, which has given a boost to increased enrollment of pupils and students in all the schools across the State.
In a statement signed and made available to the media by the erudite professor, he reminisced on the unparalleled commitment shown by the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel, in broadening the frontiers of education as well as expanding its characteristic enrichment indices in form and content.
Recounting the plethora of achievements in the educational sub-sector by the Udom Emmanuel-led administration, Prof. Inoka, enumerated various landmark strides to capture the fact that the administration’s education policy aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, which underpin that education should respond to the changing needs of society. And, in that regard, the Free and Compulsory Education has been strengthened through effective monitoring, training and retraining of teachers and the provision of education friendly environment for both teachers and students to operate.
Celebrating Governor Emmanuel’s superior performances, Inoka disclosed that ” History is here again. On the 29th of May 2015, the Socio – economic and political reality of Akwa Ibom State was redefined with the historic emergence of Mr. Udom Emmanuel, as the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Four years later, that divine mandate entrusted to him is being justified through a revolution that is impacting all aspects of the state’s life, resulting in the execution of people oriented projects, establishment of industries and revamping of existing ones. The plethora of projects aggressively executed across the length and breadth of the State are clear reflections of the Governor’s eagerness and dream to reposition Akwa Ibom thereby giving it a face lift. Even of greater concern to stakeholders in the educational sub-sector is the huge intervention in education, especially in redefining free and compulsory education to include, payment of termly subventions to Primary and Secondary Schools, payment of WAEC and NAPTEB fees to final year students and indeed “taking education in Akwa Ibom State from the earth to the sky”. Alongside Akwa Ibom people, Prof. Inoka rejoices with the Governor on the occasion of his successful inauguration for a second term. While anticipating many more superior performances, he prayed for more of God’s grace for the Governor in the coming years.
Meanwhile, Governor Emmanuel’s giant stride in education has seen him partnering with the Federal Government of Nigeria on educational development with result being the sitting and construction of Military Schools in the State. Most fundamentally, he has deemed it imperative to build and donate educational facilities to the Nigerian Navy for a Naval College in lkot Ntuen, Oruk Anam and the Nigerian Army at Efa, Etinan Local Government Area. The initiation of modular classroom blocks across the three senatorial districts in the State. Provision of sports facilities in schools. The timely intervention in the Girls Model Secondary School, Ikot Ekang, Abak, from a near – abandoned Federal project, which has turned the facility into one of the most equipped schools in the country with a state – of – the – art laboratory and library, modern classrooms, residential quarters for teachers, dormitories, dinning hall and teaching aids among others, are eloquent testimonies of Governor Emmanuel’s passion towards engendering educational renaissance in the State.
According to Prof. Inoka in one of his many explanations of Governor Emmanuel’s policy direction on education, he asserted, “In the Greek intellectual firmament, the people wanted to bring intellectualism from the sky to the earth. Here in Akwa Ibom State, Governor Emmanuel is building education from the earth to the sky”. This is reflective of the huge investment in the exogenous factors of educational development – through the Inter – Ministerial Direct Labour Agency, dilapidated classroom blocks in state owned schools have been refurbished. Also, desks and office accommodation for teachers which were in gory state are being provided and rehabilitated.
According to Governor Udom Emmanuel, schools “should become environments that develop individual capabilities and further the idea of democracy and sensitivity to social and ecological responsibilities”. Hence, his intervention in education is premised in his avowed commitment to grow a sophisticated workforce that would commensurate the industrialization drive of his administration.
