Date Published: 06/10/11

Police Secondary School, Ukana Inaugurated, handed over to Police

Police Secondary School, Ukana Ikot Ideh in Essien-Udim Local Government Area built by Akwa Ibom Government has been commissioned and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force.

The school whose approval was given in 2009 by the then Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonaya Onovo has administration blocks with fire extinguisher, laboratory, library, intro-technology block, sick bay, staff room block, staff quarters, classrooms, playing ground for sporting facilities, male/female hostels, good road network, perimeter fence and security block, among others.

Commissioning the school on Wednesday, the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim commended the state government and the people for expending much money in the face of lean resources in building the school.

Ringim who was conferred with Idorenyin Chieftaincy title by the Paramount Ruler of Essien-Udim, Obong Cosmas Akpan said the school would be a centre of excellence for Nigerian children and promised to enlist qualified children from different parts of the Country especially police children into the school.

He appealed to the Governor to assist officers other than the police wanting to establish their school in the state to do so, assuring that the school would soon open for classes.

Akwa Ibom Governor, Chief Godswill O. Akpabio observed that the commissioning of the school was another testimony to meet the infrastructural, economic, social and educational challenges of the time, explaining ‘’In meeting these challenges, we have touched the lives of indigenes and residents alike in our state and today we are happy that we are touching once again the Nigeria Police Force- an institution which men have sometimes gallantly paid the supreme sacrifice for our safety and protection’’.

Akpabio noted ‘’Our collaboration with the Nigeria Police on security and other issues is based on our faith that no stone should be left unturned in our desire to protect the lives and property of Akwa Ibom people. It was in line with this that we provided the [police with vehicles, boats, communication equipment, etc and assisted them in the organization of awareness programmes designed to create more cordiality between them and our citizenry’’.

He pointed out ‘’Our investment in building this school is also a reflection of our commitment to education. It is a widely acclaimed fact that we place significant emphasis on education and this is evident in our free, compulsory education programme, our prompt payment of bursary to our children in tertiary

institutions, our provision of laptops and grants and renovation and construction of primary and secondary school blocks, the commencement of Akwa Ibom State University and a lot more’’.

The state Commissioner of Police, Felix Uyanna said the State Police Command has three Area Commands, 36 police divisions, 7,730 officers comprising 260 senior police officers, 840 inspectors, 6,610 rank and file.

Unyanna lauded the state government for supporting the Command in crime fighting through the provision of vehicles, communication gadgets, prompt payment of allowances to units on special units, promise to pay N1 million insurance scheme to any officer who dies on active duty in the area and building and equipping of 57 Squadron of Police Mobile Force, Ukana in the area.