By Stephen Adeleye.
Mr Kashim Ali, President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), on Friday donated new sets of uniforms worth N2 million to 456 pupils of LEA Primary School, Ofugo in Ankpa, Kogi State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the donation was in fulfillment of a promise Ali made to the pupils during the sixth edition of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) conference, held on March 30.
Ali had, during that conference, promised to buy uniforms for all pupils in the three primary schools of Ofugo.
The COREN President, who did his primary education at the school, told newsmen that he was happy to fulfill his promise.
“You were here with us, some weeks ago, when we held the APWEN programme in collaboration with NNPC.
“During the event, I noticed that the uniforms that most of the children wore that day were not particularly appealing. I felt a need to do something about it.
“So, I promised to sew new uniforms for all the children of the three schools in this premises. Today, that promise has been fulfilled.
“The uniforms are now ready and that is why we are here to distribute to them,” Ali said.
Ali added that he was particularly thrilled that a vocational centre that was training some school dropouts in Olamaboro, was contracted to sew the uniforms.
He expressed joy that school dropouts were being encouraged to do something on their own, and commended the training centre for encouraging the dropouts to be self-reliant.
He said that his excitement was heightened when he saw the pupils shouting for joy when the uniforms arrived, saying that the sight would remain indelible in in his mind.
Ali promised to do more for the children by providing textbooks and exercise books.
Mrs. Felicia Agubata, the President of APWEN, in a remark, advised individuals to always remember their roots.
“We must always remember where we started from, and give something back to our community; no amount is too small,” she said.
She announced that the Science and Technology Laboratory, promised by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and to be managed by APWEN, would be built in the next six months.
In her remarks, Mrs. Rosemary Osikoya, Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, commended the COREN President for the gesture and enjoined others to emulate him.
She expressed joy over the quality of the uniforms, and particularly noted that they were produced within less than two weeks by the trainees of the Chateko Vocational Institute, Olamaboro.
The commissioner, however, stressed the need for all stakeholders to pay more attention to science, technical and vocational sector if Nigeria’s economy was to develop.
(NAN)
