From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State government has procured tools and equipment worth about N150 million for the Government Science Technical College, Bunza, and Government Science Technical College, Zuru.
The equipment, comprising drilling tools and automatic handsaws, among others, was handed over to the principals of the schools recently.
While speaking at the official handover, commissioner for the Kebbi State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Hassan Shallah Gwandu, explained that the tools were procured for the schools so that the students could be self-reliant and compete well with their counterparts across the country.
Said he, “As you have seen, the equipment is meant for our technical institutions. When I came, I invited the principals of the two technical schools and they told me what their schools needed. It is not that we don’t have equipment in these schools, but some of them have become obsolete because of the time frame, and the issue of modernization affected them. Some of them are manually operated but these new ones are automatic. So, I asked the director of technical schools what these schools required.
“And some inspectors were sent to these schools, to inspect their workshops, and they found out exactly what they needed. When they came, we made our survey and carried out the necessary things, which were supposed to be done. And we wrote to the governor that these were the things required and, without any delay, the governor approved the sum of N150 million for procurement of this equipment because they are costly due to the nature of the work they are doing.
“And these will definitely give our children opportunities to learn more about the technical works.
Anytime the Board of Technical School Committee are coming to us for accreditation in respect of these schools, we shall not face any problem because we have procured the necessary equipment and we have qualified teachers in these schools who are teaching them.”
Gwandu commended the state Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu for giving approval for the procurement of the equipment and warned the school principals not to allow untrained persons to handle the tools.
“We are grateful to the Governor of the state, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu for the procurement of these tools. With these tools, our technical schools don’t need anything again in the next 20 years.
So, our technical students would be able to compete with their counterparts in any part of the country,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director in charge of the Science and Technical Colleges in the Ministry, Alhaji Hassan Ibrahim Ngaski, disclosed that the two schools GSTC Bunza and GSTC Zuru said that the equipment supplied would last for 20 years.
He added that the principals were invited to collect them and he disclosed that they have provided adequate security for the tools by ensuring that the security guards monitor the buildings where they were installed.
