By Emmanuel Uffot
The State Governor Pastor Umo Eno has in line with his promise to take intervention in education as a top priority as captured in his ARISE Agenda blueprint has directed immediate construction of internal roads at the University of Uyo main Campus, Ikot Akpaden, in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The Governor gave the directive during his tour of facilities recently.
Accompanied by the Commissioner of Education Mrs Idongesit Etiebet and her counterpart in the Ministry of Works and Fire Service Professor Eno Ibanga, he ordered immediate commencement of works on the inner roads of the University and also indicated willingness to complete the student hostels project.
He used the occasion to acknowledge the support given to the government by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and reiterated his government commitment to support the growth of the school to become a reverred citadel if learning in the country.
The Vice- Chancellor of the University of Akwa Ibom State Professor Nse Essien and Pro- Chancellor Senator Udoma Udo Udoma both applauded the Governor for finding time to visit the school and enumerated the modest achievements of the school so far to include, gaining full accreditation of 48 academic programmes by the National University Commission, six engineering departments full accreditation by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria ( COREN) as well as facilitating full institutional accreditation by the Institute of Chartered Accountants ( ICAN) for the Accountant department.
Similarly, he visited the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi and promised state government support in the construction of 15 classroom blocks and two hostels at the permanent and other intervention projects of priority to the school.
Apart from the tertiary institutions, the Governor has also promise to build model primary schools in the three senatorial districts in the state. This has already began with Christ The King School ( CKS) along Wellington Bassey Road Uyo, which has now been adopted as a model primary school to be equipped with state- of – art facilities and other infrastructures.
In Ini local government area, the Governor while attending the funeral of a prominent son of the state Obong Bassey Inuayen in Mbente, Ifa Nkari also adopted Mbente Primary School as one of the model primary school his government will build. He stressed that this gesture is in line with his ARISE Agenda blueprint of promoting qualitative basic education through rural development. He also pledged to support the building of classroom block in Navy Military School in the state.
Secondary schools we gathered are also listed for intervention in the areas of infrastructural improvement and equipment with needed educational materials.
It could be recalled that shortly on assumption of office, Governor Eno declared a state of emergency on primary school education and directed the rehabilitation of primary schools across the state.
The Governor is also said to have put machinery in motion for the smooth take off of the College of Nursing Science in the state. This has been facilitated with the appointment of Mrs Ekaette Akan, a former state director of Nursing Services in the Ministry of Health as the Pioneer Provost of the school.
It could be recalled that as part of the intervention of his government in education, since assumption of office he has placed premium on the payment of gratuities and pension to retired primary school teachers that had over the years been a vexed issue and also released subversion to heads if state primary and secondary schools for last term and this term.
His intervention so far in the education sector, we gathered has received commendation from many stakeholders even among the critics.
Education is one of the pillars of Governor Eno’s ARISE Agenda which is acronym for- Agricultural Revolution, Rural Development, Infrastructural Maintenance/ Advancement, Security Management and Educational Advancement.
