October 28, (THEWILL) – Akwa Ibom State Government has said that it is ready to partner the Nigerian Navy to establish a Navy Girls’ College and building of a residential estate for Navy personnel in the state.
The State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, bared the mind of the state government, when the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubair Gambo (CFR), paid courtesy call on him at the Hill Top Mansion Government House, Uyo.
Emmanuel, who gave his consent to the proposal of the Nigerian Navy for the expansion of the existing Navy School at Ikot Ntuen community, Oruk Anam local government area, granted that a Navy Girls College be established in the state.
He directed that a dedicated line be provided from the Ekim Itam Substation, to ensure constant power supply to the Ikot Ntuen Navy college.
He also directed the Navy to tour the Special School in Awa Ubium, Onna LGA for consideration as site for the Girls’ College, stressing that there are facilities already for the take off of the institution.
“You talked about Navy School, I have a site already built that you can start a Navy Girls School in January. The facilities are there. The Commandant can go and have a look”, he directed.
The governor further directed the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Capt Iniobong Ekong (rtd), “to work out modalities to acquire and make available a 200 hectares of land for the construction of residential estate for personnel of the Nigerian Naval Service, NNS.”
He disclosed the state government preparedness to go into partnership with an Egyptian investor to establish Fishing industry in the state, estimated to produce one million tonnes of fish and a revenue of $500 million within a period of five years.
In his remarks, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, described his visit to Akwa Ibom State as “Homecoming’, noting that he had served in the state as Chief Security Officer during the military regime.
He commended the maintained cordial relationship between the State government and the Nigerian Navy, and expressed the confidence that state government would leverage the existing relationship with the Navy to explore the great opportunities available in the blue economy.
Gambo, who appreciated the state government for the warm reception granted him upon his arrival in the state, assured that with the investment in the sector, Maritime security, has been beefed up across the coastal areas.
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