Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja
The President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Mr. Kashim Ali has donated new sets of school uniforms worth N2 million to 456 pupils of LEA Primary School, Ofugo in Ankpa, Kogi State.
The donation was in fulfilment of a promise he made to the pupils during the sixth edition of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) conference, held on March 30. During the conference, he promised to buy uniforms for all pupils in the three primary schools of Ofugo.
Ali, who had his primary education at the school, told journalists that he was happy to fulfil 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 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 delight that school dropouts are being encouraged to do something on their own, and commended the training centre for encouraging the dropouts to be self-reliant.
The president said his excitement was heightened when he saw the pupils shouting for joy as the uniforms were brought to them, saying that the sight would remain indelible in in his mind. He promised to do more for the pupils by providing textbooks and exercise books.
In her remarks, the President of APWEN, Mrs. Felicia Agubata advised people 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 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.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Rosemary Osikoya commended the COREN president for the gesture and enjoined others to emulate him.
She expressed satisfaction with the quality of the uniforms and noted that they were produced within less than two weeks by the trainees of the Chateko Vocational Institute, Olamaboro.
The commissioner stressed the need for all stakeholders to pay more attention to science, technical and vocational sector if Nigeria’s economy is to develop.
