Akwa Ibom gov lauds navy on partnership in education

Umo Eno, governor of Akwa Ibom state, has commended the productive engagements in educational development between the Nigerian Navy and the state government.

He said this while addressing a gathering which had the top brass of the Nigerian Navy, led by the chief of naval staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, at the graduation and passing out ceremonies of the first batch of graduating students, Nigerian Navy Military School, Oruk Anam, Akwa Ibom.

Eno who had earlier been led on a tour of facilities in the school, in the company of the naval chief and other officers.

He thanked the Navy for choosing Akwa Ibom for the establishment of the college.

The governor acknowledged that the school was established to groom young able bodied boys with the right mix of academic excellence, values and discipline, maintained that the Navy Military School, in just six years of existence has grown in leaps and bounds to become the most sought after Navy Secondary School in the country, and ascribed the feat to quality of personnel, ambience of the institution, academic performance and the drills which he described as spectacular.

“We have also seen the outstanding works that they have done, I have had conversations with the Commandant of the school, he is doing extremely well with his teaching staff and we will be celebrating the commandant and the teaching staff,” he said.

“We have also been told that they are in need of staff Quarters so as to bring in all of their staff. The Government of Akwa Ibom State is donating one storey building block to support them. The Akwa Ibom Government has contributed in the past and I am told we have done about eight buildings including the laboratories, hostels, halls and pipe borne water. We will continue to support what we have seen here today.”

The governor made a case for the introduction of some elements of military training in the state conventional schools to instill discipline in the students and directed the commissioner for education, Idongesit Etiebet, to make available N250,000 to each of the best graduating students

The state chief executive used the occasion to congratulate the young sailors on their successful completion of their academic programme and military training spanning six years and commended their discipline and determination during the training.

He wished them the best in their academic and military career, advising them to showcase themselves as good ambassadors of the institution and never to forget their earliest beginning in the state in their journey of life.

“To all other graduands and others that made the silent drill and the unarmed drill and all of the graduands that are here, the Government, through the Honourable Commissioner for Education will make available Ten Million Naira to you so that you can have happy hour after a very serious season because after every warfare.”

“Finally, let me Congratulate you and wish you the very best in the future, both in your academics and in your military pursuits. I have no doubt that you will be great ambassadors of this school, the State and the Nation. Wherever the journey of life takes you, please don’t forget that you had your training in Akwa Ibom and always remember Akwa Ibom as you move along.”