Edo commissions rebuilds army children’s school

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Wife of the Chief of Army Staff and President, Nigerian Army officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), Mrs. Felly Minimah, has commissioned the rebuilt Army Children’s School, in the Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport in Benin City.‎

The rebuilt school made up of three blocks of 15 classrooms, four staff rooms and six conveniences for teachers and pupils, was executed by Edo state government.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Friday, Mrs. Minimah thanked the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, for extending development projects to military formations in the state.

“I want to thank the Executive Governor of Edo State and the Commandant of Army School of supply for considering me worthy of this noble role and I will also like to appreciate the Comrade Governor for choosing this school as one of the quick impact projects of his administration.

“Your efforts at repositioning the education sector in Edo State will not be in vain as the issue of child education is paramount to us as parents, so projects like this should be a thing of joy for every progressive parent. If our children are educated under a conducive atmosphere, they will be well equipped as future leaders,” she said.

Mrs. Minimah noted that gone were the days when people look at barrack children as drop outs. “It is a known fact that the barrack community has produced great men and women of repute in our society,” she stated.

She disclosed that since she took over as National President of NAOWA, child education has been her priority in Nigerian barracks nationwide.

In his speech, Governor Adams Oshiomhole noted that it was one thing to provide some financial support to institutions to address their area of needs such as this, but that it is entirely another thing for those entrusted with the resources to manage it so judiciously.

“I have looked at the quality of work and I am amazed that the Commandant and his team were able to use the resources we provided to turn around this school in this manner. This shows the capacity and the capability of officers and men of the Nigerian Army to manage very little resources judiciously.

“I am also happy that the classrooms have already been furnished. The teachers and the pupils now have what we call an enabling environment to teach and to impart knowledge. All we owe our children to attain the promise and the prayer of the national president is to create the environment for each and every one of them to realize their potentials.

“We can play with any other thing, we can politicize any other aspect of our country but the two things we mustn’t politicize is security, which this environment represent and education because that is our future,”‎ the governor said.