Obaseki Promises New Workshop Equipment for GSTC Benin

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has promised that the Government Science and Technical College (GSTC), Benin, formerly known as Benin Technical College, being remodelled by his administration will be equipped with new set of workshop equipment in the first quarter of this year.

Speaking to journalists after inspecting ongoing rehabilitation work at the college, the governor said the equipment ordered for the laboratories and workshops would be available in 90 days.

The governor expressed hope that a greater section of the college would be ready within the next six months.

He noted that though the pace of rehabilitation has been rather slow, “the time-consuming aspect of the work has been concluded. So within the next 90 days, the new building should be completed. It should be roofed in the next one month and the internal finishing completed.

“The new building will sit between 400 and 500 students. The idea is to have a school that can accommodate about 1,500 students at the same time.”

He said the minister of power has approved a dedicated 133 KVA power line which will supply electricity to the college and the University of Benin directly from the Ihovbor Power Plant to take care of the electricity need of the college.

“We have a team coming from the Transmission Company of Nigeria next week. We are getting a 133 KVA power line directly from the Ihovbor power plant to the college.”

According to him, the state government is already in talks with the World Bank and other relevant bodies on how to gradually develop the manpower required to get the college running.

The team lead on the project, Mr Giles Omezi said the team is on track and will deliver the first aspect of the project before the end of the third quarter of the year.

Omezi said by September 2019, the school would have been rehabilitated with full accreditation secured, as about 45 per cent of work has been done in some respect.

“Based on our last review, we have done about 45 per cent of work. What we have left are the service, internal and external fittings and refurbishment of the existing college building,” he said.