by our correspondent

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has taken a significant step towards a sustainable solution to security challenges in the State by assenting to a Bill to establish the Cross River State Security Trust Fund and other related matters. The objective of the fund is to provide money for the procurement of security equipment, and such other hardware as shall be found necessary for the effective functioning of the State, Local Governments, and other security agencies operating in the State.

This is to enable the two levels of government and security agencies meet the challenges of militancy, kidnapping, piracy, armed robbery and the growing trend of terrorism. Part of the fund is to be reserved for the training and retraining of security personnel.

To ensure proper utilization of the fund in accordance with due process, the Bill also provides for the establishment of a management board to oversee the operations of the Security Trust Fund. The Board has the Governor as Chairman, with fourteen (14) other members drawn from the public sector.

Specifically, the Board is expected to manage the fund established under the Bill, procure equipment, including but not limited to patrol vehicles, armored personnel carriers, water canons, protection vans, unimogs, lorries, buses, recovery vehicles and helicopter as may be required for use in the State by Federal, State and Local Government Security Agencies after the necessary approval must have been obtained from the appropriate Federal agencies.

It will also ensure at all times in the management of the fund that the fund shall have sufficient money and materials to offer support for the protection of lives and property in the State, among other functions.

Although, Cross River State is the safest state in Nigeria's volatile Niger Delta region, Governor Imoke is not sitting back but rather taking proactive steps to address security concerns in the State. The fund shall no doubt greatly complement the Federal Government's amnesty programme for militants in the Niger Delta. The fund shall also help build investor confidence in the State's economy, and its growing tourism industry.

FGGC Holds Graduation Ceremony

by Ateed Yusuf Abuja

It was a happy moment for the gradaunts of the Federal Government Girls' College (FGGC) Bwari for 2009/2010 session, when parents, friends, well-wishers, relatives as well as their teachers gathered to wish them the very best life can offer at the 22nd Annual Speech and Prize Giving Day and graduation ceremony organized by the college recently.

Speaking at the occasion, the Principal of the school, Mrs. M.O. Okwulehie charged the gradaunts to live a life worthy of emulation through solving the problems of the nation such as election rigging, insecurity and epileptic power supply.
She further encouraged them to stand firm for Nigeria wherever they find themselves that as future leaders Nigeria is depending on them.

Mrs. Okwulehie also enjoined parents to monitor their wards, noting that children needed proper orientation and training for a brighter future.
The FGGC boss used the opportunity to commend the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) of the college for contributing to the development of the college.

According to her, the association has constructed 20,000 litres over-head tank, with motorized borehole renovated a hundred bed spare sapphire hostels, paid salaries of PTA Ad-hoc staff, gardeners, cooks, security men, Lab attendants and assisted in the renovation of college dinning hall.

Commenting on her leadership achievements, the principal said the college had organized a 5 week ICT programme for staff, explaining that over 150 teaching and non-teaching staff benefited.
Mrs. Okwulehie also pointed out that the step-B project office in the college had turned around the fortunes of science technology and mathematics education in the college.

“The college has been elected to take part in the British council International Inspiration Project in conjunction with UNICEF. The programme will enable our staff and students participate actively in the 2012, London Olympics”, she said.

The principal told the gathering that the college had in the last one year computerized the results of students by installing the SAF Results complier, adding that parents could now have the opportunity of accessing their children's results online through short message service (SMS).
She said “words will not adequately express our feeling for the Honourable Minister of Education, Pro. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, OON for the giant strides she has taken to reposition education generally in Nigeria and unity colleges in particular.

“I have no doubt in my mind that with the wealth of experience she has garnered over the years as an accomplished educationalist and most recently, the Commissioner for Educatio0n in Jigawa State, Nigeria, the Ministry of Education and the 104 Unity Colleges have a square peg in a square hole”. In her role of thanks, the Vice Principal special Duties Mrs. A.H. Ogunbanwo has appreciated the presence of their invited guest and wished them safe journey tot heir respective places.

Earlier, in his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, who is also the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Jigawa State, Tijani Inuwa Dutse Esq. has told the students to pursue their ambition with zeal commitment and endurance and motivated them to use the privilege provides by their teachers in order to excel in their future endeavour.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Professor Afolabi represented by Mr. Bayo Odejinmi has appreciated the efforts of the principal towards taking the college to greater heights, stressing that for the past few years they had observed a lot of changes in the college.

He further commended the management of the college for solving water problem faced by both staff and students. Also contributing, the Chairman Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the College, Chief Ben Ugwu said the Association had set aside Annual Prizes for teachers, explaining that the act is a measure taken to encourage teachers who distinguished themselves in their subject areas.

He further called on the gradaunts to be good ambassadors of the college while in the Universities and labour market.
The PTA Chairman also reminded the graduating students to always observe two things and these included hard work and disciplined that the act would take them to wherever they wanted to be in life.

In his lecture entitled “Girls' Child Education” the Guest Speaker Dr. Ken Katas has shed more light on the advantages of educating, training and empowering girl child.
Meanwhile the College has graduated 309 students while prizes were presented to the best performing gradaunts.