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Tuesday, March 16, 2021

SPEECH BY SENATOR DR. AKON EYAKENYI ON THE OCCASION OF DISBURSEMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, TEXTBOOKS, EXERCISE/GRAPH BOOKS FURNISHINGS, TEACHERS'/PUPILS' DESKS/TABLES/CHAIRS AND EQUIPMENT TO SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN AKWA IBOM SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT HELD AT THE CONSTITUENCY OFFICE, 106 LIVERPOOL ROAD, EKET ON MONDAY 15th MARCH, 2021.




PROTOCOLS

Dear Constituents, it gives me great joy to have us gather here today for a purpose connected with the building of our District. We are here gathered today to reinforce the foundations of our growth and progress as a people.

Education remains the bedrock of societal development and, basic education lies at the core of societies' quest for meaningful and sustainable development. Once educational foundations are not firmly laid, it becomes difficult to have impressive superstructures built on same. It is on this premise that, I have chosen to support the free and compulsory education policy of His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel  in Renovation, Construction of classrooms, Payments of Tuition and Examination Fees for many of our students etc. Please, permit me at this point to specifically appreciate the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for the great work it is doing to ensure our pre-primary and primary schools across the nation are properly equipped.

Great civilisations and economies around the globe are built on firm educational foundations. No country can be greater than the quality of its educational system. The efficiency and effectiveness of any educational system is predicted on the soundness of its foundations. It therefore follows that we must do all within our capabilities to ensure we give qualitative basic education to our children.

Teaching and learning at whatever level requires appropriate inputs in form of instructional materials, educational facilities, equipment and resources. Where such requirements are not provided in good proportion and quality, it becomes difficult to impart the learners as it should be.

Education is a fundamental human right. No society has any justifiable reason to deny its citizens basic education. The education of our children is an investment that must not be left exclusively for the government. We all have roles as individuals, communities, corporate bodies, non governmental organisations, representatives of the people at whatever level and even religious organisations. No contribution is insignificant.

To complement the investment of the Akwa Ibom State Government in basic and secondary education in Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, I have through the instrumentality of my Constituency Projects, facilitated lots of interventions most of which are ongoing while some are soon to come.

Amongst the ongoing interventions are:

1. Construction of 3 Classroom Block with office and store at St. Michael Primary School, Eyonsek in Udung Uko LGA.
2. Construction of 3 Classroom Block with office and store at Government Primary School, Iquita in Oron LGA.
3. Construction of 3 Classroom Block with office and store at Methodist Primary School, Uda in Mbo LGA.
4. Construction of 3 Classroom Block with office and store at OIC Primary School, Ukpana, Oniong East, Onna LGA.
5. Construction of 3 Classroom Block with office and store at OIC Primary School, Ibiaku in Mkpat Enin LGA.
6. Construction of Assembly Hall at Government Primary School, Iquita in Oron LGA.
7. Renovation and refurbishing of Assembly Hall at Government Primary School, Ukpata/Afaha Eduok in Oron LGA.

While the above listed interventions are ongoing, I shall relentlessly push for more because, nothing can be too much an effort in pursuit of our resolve to give free, compulsory and qualitative basic and secondary education to our children.

In my 20 months sojourn so far at the Nigerian Senate, I have all through been guided by my promise of a Better Deal for Akwa Ibom South. Within the period under review, I have:

1. Trained over 500 of our young people in oil and gas related areas.
2. Trained over 50 of our youths in Modern Farming Practices and Technology.
3. Over 500 constituents trained in Poultry Farming, Tailoring, Confectionery Making and Entrepreneurship.
4. Over 300 youths trained in Solar Panel Installation, Repairs and Maintenance. All trainees were empowered with start-up packs and seed money.
5. Another group of about 50 youths trained in Solar Panel Installation, Repairs and Maintenance.

It is my believe that health is wealth and, only a healthy population can contribute to the development of our society. In this wise, I have undertaken a number of interventions in healthcare delivery to our constituents some of which are:

1. Donation of drugs to 8 Local Government Areas (LGAs) within the district. The benefiting LGAs included:
-Eastern Obolo
-Esit Eket
-Ibeno
-Mbo
-Okobo
-Oron and
-Udung Uko

2. I cosponsored free medical services at General Hospital, Iquita in Oron LGA which lasted for 10days with several doctors and other health professionals. Several major and minor operations were carried out alongside other medical treatments, free drugs, free eye glasses, medical tests, scans amongst others.

3. By July of 2020, I sponsored another round of medical outreaches in the 3 Federal Constituencies making up the district. During that exercise, more than 8000 of our people were reached and impacted. 

4. The last round of free medical services so far came up in December 2020 and, in like manner, the 3 Federal Constituencies were reached with thousands of beneficiaries.

Students, the less privileged and female youths were empowered with educational grants and funds to start up petty businesses. Widows have been empowered and lots of other individuals have been touched and impacted in diverse ways.

We reached out to our constituents in groups and individually with palliatives during the lockdown. 
The Constituents were touched effectively last December with gifts in cash and kind.

Most importantly, we have a functional Constituency Office with our constituents employed and earning monthly stipends. In response to the security situation in our country, I deemed it needful to gather the leaders of our district for a detailed discourse on security, alternative dispute resolution and peace-building. To achieve this, I mounted a 2-Day Security Retreat for Leaders (traditional, political, sociocultural and security agencies) across the district. Same was organised for Youths, Town Unions, Trade Organisations, Students, Women Groups etc. 

The Retreats which were well attended had experts drawn across the federation who presented well researched papers. It provided a convenient atmosphere for the citizens to interface with the security agencies (the Police, SSS, Immigration, Civil Defense, Army). Far reaching resolutions were made as were carried in the communique.

It has been our priority to ensure our people benefit maximally from Federal Government Social Investment Schemes of all sorts. As at the last count, almost 2000 of our constituents have been facilitated to get enlisted in such programmes. We have equally facilitated the employment of our people in several public and private establishments and organisations. 

We have helped secure scholarships for our students in tertiary institutions.

During the consultations, solicitations and campaigns, I promised to remain accessible, available and approachable to our people, that has been my guiding principle these past years. I have made it a practice to consult widely on all issues before taking any decision on matters having to do with our constituency.

Today, we are going to distribute to various primary schools in our district, some items to enhance effective teaching and learning at that level. The items to be disbursed include:

1. 75, 737 exercise books and graph booklets.
2. 7,300 Mathematics and English Textbooks.
3. 33 Modern Tables for Teachers
4. 12 Steel Cabinets
5. 13 Generators (Sumec Fireman SPG 3000E2 with Keystaters and Tyres)
6. 33 Executive Chairs with accessories for Teachers
7. 27 Modern Tables for Head Teachers
8. 27 Modern Chairs for Head Teachers
9. Cartons of pens
10. Pupils Desk
11. Science Equipment 

The benefiting schools include:

1. Government Primary School, Iquita, Oron LGA.
2. Government Primary School, Eyo-Abasi, Oron LGA.
3. St. Paul's Primary School, Uya-Oro, Oron LGA.
4. St. Andrew's Primary School, Idua Assang, Oron LGA.
5. St. Peter's Primary School, Uko Akpan, Enwang, Mbo LGA.
6. Community Primary School, Eyo Uweh, Udung Uko LGA.
7. Government Primary school, Mbokpu Eyokan, Urue offong/Oruko LGA.
8. Government Primary School, Otti Oro, Okobo LGA.
9. QIC Primary School, Awa Iman, Onna LGA.
10. Primary School, Mkpanak, Ibeno LGA. 
11. Government Primary School, Etebi , Ebe Ekpi, Esit Eket LGA. 
12. QIC Primary School, Eket LGA.
13. Methodist Primary School , Akai Owu Udesi, Mbo LGA. 
14. Government Primary School, Ellie, Eastern Obolo LGA.
15. Salvation Army Primary School, Ikot Obong, Ikot Abasi LGA.
16. St. John's Primary School, Asong, Mkpat Enin LGA.

The disbursed items are for use by teachers and pupils in the above listed schools. They are not meant to be sold or taken home or to private schools. It is my hope that the respective Head Teachers of the selected schools will properly deploy the items to enhance their job and learning by pupils.

The various communities in which these schools are sited have a responsibility to ensure the facilities, equipment and resources provided are secured and protected from theft and vandalism. 

Dear Constituents, we are all witnesses to the fact that Parents Teachers Association (PTA) have been deleted from our educational system. It is, in my opinion, one of the gaps we need to bridge to ensure our primary and secondary schools are returned to the glorious era where communities took active part in the management of schools located within their domains. 

I encourage our Local Government Chairmen to see to the setting up of PTAs in all primary and secondary schools within their LGAs. Let us all join hands to ensure that our children are given the right kind of education. Communities must resume their abandoned duty of watching over school properties, facilities, equipment and installations within their domains.

I very humbly appeal to our indefatigable SUBEB Chairman to ensure the deployment of security staff (day and night) to our public primary and secondary schools to checkmate the rate of vandalism and theft of school properties.

Permit me to commend our leader and performing Governor, His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel for his strides in the education sector. His avowed commitment to provide free, compulsory and qualitative basic and secondary education is a challenge to all of us in government and, we shall continue to do all within our reach in support of His Excellency's efforts.

Let me at this juncture thank all of our leaders across the district, the party who gave us the platform, the various support groups and individual supporters and the generality of our people who have stood by us these past years. I am committed more than ever before to offer our district a Better Deal.

I shall not cease from soliciting your cooperation, support and prayers. Together, let's push for a better Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District.

I thank you!

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