Foundation Donates Desks to  A’Ibom Public School

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Worried by the poor condition of the Secondary Grammar School in Ukpenekang, lbeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Innocent Udoidiong Foundation has donated over 50 dual-desks to the school.

The Secondary Grammar School is the only public secondary school in the oil-rich community of Ibeno where majority of the students sit on bare floor to learn.

The founder of the organisation, Innocent Udoidiong, who delivered the desks to the authorities of the school, said he was moved to sympathy when he observed how students sat on the floor while learning.

Udoidiong, who was represented by the National Coordinator of the Foundation,  Mr. Joseph Ekpo, said the gesture was to complement the efforts of the government in developing education in the state and a clarion call for good spirited individuals to contribute their quota to humanitarian service.

He said the gesture has been replicated in different schools across some local government areas of the state, and urged the benefiting students to avoid vandalisation of the desks.

According to him, “This gesture has been replicated in almost all the local government areas in the state. The Foundation was motivated to act following the disturbing pictures in the media where our children were seen sitting on a bare floor to learn.

“The founder promised to send in some funds so that we can construct desks for the students, and that is why we are here. I urge the students to avoid vandalisation of these desks.”

Speaking earlier, the Media Coordinator of the Foundation, Mr. Tony Esin, said the information about the plight of students

sitting on a bare floor became alarming when seen in the media.

He said the national body drew the attention of the founder to the school, who sent a team for Needs Assessment, stressing that “the number may not be much but just to encourage the students and also draw the attention of other well-to-do people to complement the effort of the government in championing free and basic education in the state.”

Receiving the items, the Principal-General of the school, Douglas Akpan, expressed joy for the donation, and prayed God to bless the donor.

 He noted that the chairs would boast the educational standard of the school saying: “If a child has a comfortable learning environment, he can easily learn what is being taught,” and urged the state government to do more in terms of provision of facilities.