Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has renovated 17 public primary schools and equipped them with modern state-of-the-art facilities and laboratory equipment.
The schools include Onna People’s High School, Abat, Onna council area, Community Secondary Commercial School, Ikot Akpan Ishiet, Onna, Etinan Institute, Etinan, St. Mary’s Science College, Ediene Abak, Secondary Commercial School, Iwawa Usung Eket, Ibesikpo Asutan, Community Secondary School, Oruk Anam LGA, Community Secondary Commercial School, Ikot Uso Ekong, Eket, and Methodist Senior Science College, Oron.
Our Correspondent gathered that the schools cut across three senatorial districts in the state receiving modern science laboratory equipment for subjects such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics to provide students with practical knowledge.
Conducting newsmen round the schools on Thursday, the consultant in charge of the project and chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Northstars Associate Limited, Mr Aniekan Tim Umoette, explained that the sorry state of science laboratories in secondary schools in the state moved the Governor to award a contract to refurbished and equipped the science laboratories.
“When I came to Nigeria, I met the Governor and he specifically instructed me to go to find out the different schools that are lagging, especially in science subjects and after I did, he awarded a contract to my company which refurbished the labs with state-of-the-art facilities. We have also delivered the equipment to the seventeen schools”.
Meanwhile, teachers and students of the benefiting public schools have appreciated Governor Emmanuel for investing in the education of students in secondary schools by refurbishing and equipping the science laboratories for their practical classes.
They recounted their inability to conduct practicals due to lack of conducive and well-equipped laboratories before the remodelling exercise adding that most times, they resorted to alternatives to practicals.
The Principal of the Secondary Commercial Schools at Iwawa Usung Eket in Ibesikpo Asutan local government area, Mr Anietie Edet Ubiong said the newly-furnished science laboratories presented by the state government would boost the teaching of science hoping that the school would produce medical and engineering professionals in the future.
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“I have received the science equipment sent to the school by the Akwa Ibom state government. Today, the students are using the science equipment and this will help them get acquainted with the subject as they carry out their practicals daily.
“Governor Udom Emmanuel is a promise-keeping governor. He has not only built the lab but equipped it to the standard we would be proud of. This gesture is a reaffirmation of the high premium the government has placed on the educational sector in this state.”
Another teacher Mrs Ekaette Matthew Inyangetor who teaches chemistry at Community Secondary Commercial School, Ikot Akpan Ishiet in Onna local government area recalled that teaching the subject was a difficult task as the practical aspect could not be conducted due to lack of standard laboratory.
She said the new laboratories would afford students the opportunity to conduct their practicals in Chemistry and other science subjects.
“Teaching Chemistry at this school was difficult because it is a practical science, not just theory so it was not easy to make the students understand what I was teaching without showing them the practical aspect of it.
“I want to say that I am very grateful, I thank Governor Udom Emmanuel for this gesture done in our school. When the equipment were brought here, the students and the students were so happy and the whole community heard about it. I am happy and I’m ready to teach them using the apparatus given to our school.”
One of the students of St. Mary’s Science College, Ediene Abak in Abak local government area, Iboro Mandi Udom, was happy to have his practical classes at the newly-furnished Chemistry laboratory given to them by the state government.
“Our new Chemistry laboratory was just done by the state government and here in St. Mary’s, science subjects are taken seriously and with this equipment, our practicals are conducted regularly. The government has done well in providing all the laboratory instruments and equipment needed for our studies. I say a very big thank you to the Akwa Ibom government for the provision of the facilities and equipment in our school.” he said.
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