Ayade
Cross
River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade has donated over 500,000 free
uniforms to public schools across the state under the Ayade School
Uniform Programme.
This
was even as he disclosed plans by the state government to set up shoe
manufacturing factory.
The
governor made the presentation shortly after declaring open the 56th
Annual Meeting of the Nigeria National Committee of West Africa
Examinations Council held at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar, yesterday.
According
to Ayade, the gesture was in fulfillment of his earlier promise to
the pupils two years ago during one of his outings with them.
In
his words, “Let me announce to you that this is a product of the
Cross River State garment factory. 500,000 uniforms donated for free
to pupils in cross River State public schools and I have also
directed that private schools should be given 10 percent of these
uniforms.”
The
governor who said he was focusing on primary schools pupils, hinted:
“We are focusing on the young pupil and that is why I thought it
wise to do this presentation today. We intend to dress them properly
and let me inform you that our shoe factory is coming up soon where
we also intend to produce school sandals and present same free to
them to build their confidence and make them see themselves as equals
to those in the private schools.”
While
urging WAEC to proffer solutions to the fallen standard of education
in the country, Ayade reasoned: “Society has moved so fast and
education cannot catch up at the speed because of wrong educational
structure and so, WAEC has to restructure it syllabus especially in
line with current realities.”
The
governor enjoined the examination body to realize that there is need
for a paradigm shift from the conventional question setting for
knowledge testing to practical implementation of knowledge, adding
that practical exposure is the key to the future Nigeria now desires.
According
to the governor, “Values, ethics Kantianism, integrity, character
of a man which has always been the foundation of our primary
education that laid the foundation for the prosperity of a future
Nigeria has changed and must be corrected and fast too.”
“I
challenge this committee to restructure our curriculum to reflect the
quality of our youths because if we must get it right, it must start
at that level,” the governor emphasized.
Chairman,
Nigeria National Council of the West Africa Examination Council, Dr.
(Mrs.) Lami Amodu commended Governor Ben Ayade for the rapid
developmental strides that has placed Cross River as one of the
fastest industrialising states in the country, noted that the state
had a long history with education and therefore, was considered very
elitist in Nigeria.
While
thanking the state government for the support to the examination body
over the years, the WAEC boss reasoned that with the quantum of
investments the state has made in educational sector so far, as well
as the governor’s personal interest in the sector, Cross River
State will soon be placed top on the global education map.
Her
words: “Your Excellency, let me state here that your warmth and
demonstrated passion to education is highly infectious. I wish to
thank you for the approval you gave for the donation of two pick up
vans to WAEC office, Calabar to assist the council in serving
the state better."
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