The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, on Tuesday plenary, passed a Bill to Establish the State College of Science and Technology, Nung Ukim, Ikono, into law.
The Bill was brought before the House on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, by the Member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, Hon. Godwin Ekpo and was sent to the House Committee on Education for further legislative action.
Presenting the Committee’s Report, the Chairman, House Committee on Education and lead sponsor of the Bill, Hon. Godwin Ekpo noted that the Bill seeks to restructure the school curriculum and provide full time courses of study, training and research in applied sciences, technology, business management and other fields of studies as approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
He said the Bill is predicated on the need to actualise the dream of the present administration to provide a College dedicated for the training of middle and higher technical manpower to mainstream industrial development efforts.
The Lawmaker further noted that the Bill also seeks to give backing to the College to access the intervention funds from Federal Donor Agencies, such as Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), UNESCO, PTDF, etc, for its development, as well as facilitating foreign sponsorship, scholarship, partnership and exchange of academic programmes in various field of studies.
The House after receiving and considering the Report at the Committee of the Whole, passed the Bill into Law, with effect from January 1, 2020.
At Plenary also, the House received a Motion on “The Proliferation of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Sales Outlets Within Residential Areas in Akwa Ibom State: A Ticking Time Bomb Waiting to Explode,” sponsored by the Deputy House Leader and member representing Etinan State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Aniefiok Denis.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, while welcoming the lawmakers back from the Christmas and New Year break, prayed God for peace, strength and wisdom, to enable them succeed in their legislative year.