BY MAGNUS EMUJI
Delta State Government (DTSG) has reiterated its readiness to engage willing stakeholders to achieve sustainable development in the education sector.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Augustine Oghoro stated this at Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area during the inauguration of a Special Education Centre built and donated to the Centre by the Chevron Nigeria Limited.
Oghoro ,who said that the State Government would always appreciate all forms of interventions in the education sector, commended the company for the initiative.
He highlighted facilities at the centre to include six classroom block, well equipped science laboratories, library, sick bay and generator.
The PS noted that the project was unique and would address the needs of the learners with special needs in Agbor area, adding that the facility would also help to improve the capacity of teachers and learning process in the school .
While urging the centre to make good use of the facilities and ensure that they carried out periodic maintenance so as to guarantee their sustainability, Mr. Oghoro called on corporate organisations and well meaning individuals to emulate the gesture of Chevron Nigeria Limited.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Principal of Special Education Centre, Agbor, Mrs. Ezeh Francisca expressed gratitude to Chevron company for the generosity.
Mrs. Ezeh said that the centre was established in 1995 by two specialist teachers, herself and one other from the Post Primary Education Board, Asaba, stressing that at the inception, accommodation was a teething problem.
She stated that the centre offered formal education and vocational skills for persons with disabilities in primary and secondary levels and listed categories of learners in the centre to include persons with visual impairment , hearing impairment and intellectually disabled.
Mrs. Ezeh enumerated the challenges facing the centre to include lack of fund, inadequate teachers and lack of mobility especially to convey the students to and fro the school, saying that the population of the centre dropped drastically as a result of the fact that most of the students were living close to the former location and could not continue as a result of the high cost of transportation.
In their separate remarks, Director of Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited, Michelle Pflueger , who was represented by Mr. Abimbola Olajide and the Chief Upstream Investment Officers of NUIMS, Bala Wunti, represented by Okoro Ehis Brenda admnonished the students to make use of the opportunities they had to acquire sound education as the nation's future leaders.
The duo said that they were optimistic that the donation would lay the foundation that would enable the students with special needs to achieve their education and potentials in life and compete favorable well with other individuals in the society while also appreciating the Delta State Government for its unwavering support towards the successful completion of the project.
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