By Timorhy Ekpo
IBESIKPOASUTAN
The Akwa Ibom Government has indicated its readi-
ness to encourage institu- tions that are willing to contribute to the educa- tional development of the state as the Lutheran Church of Nigeria (LCN) raises funds to establish its university in Uyo.
The governor, Pst. Umo Eno, stated this when he featured as a special guest of honour at the 2024 an- nual synodical convention and fund raising for the Lutheran University project, at the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, Obot Idim, Ibesikpo Asutan Lo- cal Government.
Represented by the deputy governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, the gov- ernor said his administra- tion attaches much inter- est in the growth of the education sector in view of attendant benefits to the
people.
He noted that his pas-
sion to see the people ac- quire sound education was the reason government has captured it in ARISE Agenda and has taken steps to ensure that exist- ing facilities were scaled up to meet its aspirations for efficient service deliv- ery.
Eno stated that already, his administration was implementing the free and compulsory education and had included free uniforms and sandals to be distrib- uted to pupils and students in public primary and sec- ondary schools in the state.
The governor explained that if the educational foundation of every Akwa Ibom child must be solid to sustain the child through the university, such as the one to be built by the Lutheran Church of Nige- ria, educational facilities have to be upgraded, stressing that the actions of
government at Christ the King School (CKC) in the upgrade of the facility into a model primary school and the establishment of Ewet Offot Model Pri- mary School were aimed at promoting content, en- suring quality and easy ac- cess to primary education by Akwa Ibom children.
Eno told the gathering that government’s huge in- vestment in education was to ensure that Akwa Ibom children have good foun- dation and good training which he said could only be achieved through the provision of a conducive learning environment, sus- tained free education, pro- vision of uniforms, shoes and exercise books.
The governor applauded Lutheran Church’s inten- tion to establish a univer- sity in the state, adding that with the free and compul- sory education policy re- sulting in increasing pupils and students enrolment,
the Lutheran University would provide a facility that would assist govern- ment in the training of Akwa Ibom children at the tertiary level.
He donated the sum of N5 million for the project and assured that as work progressed, government will continue to do the best to ensure that Lutheran University was achieved.
The chairman on the oc- casion and commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Mr Frank Archibong said in 1950, Lutheran High School, Obot Idim, was established by Revd. John Konz as a school to help in the education of the people to help spread the gospel.
Archibong, explained that the establishment of the school then afforded him the opportunity to at- tend school and the edu- cational foundation set in him by Lutheran High
School had made him who he is today.
He stated that 73 years after, if the church has de- cided to follow up its evan- gelism vision by adding Lutheran University to the secondary school it built in 1950, it was a project that must be celebrated. Archibong who noted that there was no limit to what education could do in the development of the people, urged that the project be supported.
The chairman of the project committee, Dr Emayak Ukpong, said that establishment of a Lutheran University was a vision of the church to ex- pand the frontiers of knowledge which he stressed was an indices of development.
Ukpong assured that his committee would do ev- erything possible to ensure that the project was real- ized.
CMYK
Weekend Pioneer January 12- 14, 2024
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