By CHARLES IWUOHA

Member representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Toby Okechuukwu, has introduced a learning tour for students in his constituency.

Over 200 students selected from eleven secondary schools took part in the first batch of the tour.

The Deputy Minority Leader, who has been encouraging education in his constituency, had promised to take a selected number of students in Aninri, Awgu, and Oji-River Federal constituency for a learning tour to several places of interest.

“Like I would always say, you can take a man’s wealth and property from him, but education is the one thing you can never take away from him.

“What we are trying to do is to encourage our young people to have exposure. We want to encourage them to come and interface with what happens in urban areas by taking them to various points so that they will be inspired.

“Places like airport to see what it looks like, manufacturing companies like Innoson where they manufactures cars and plastics, some will want to be broadcasters, firsthand experience will sufficiently expose our young people.

“So we want to select people from various schools and then get them exposed, and we will be doing it routinely so that they will have sufficient opportunity to understand what all these sectors do” he said.

The excursion kicked off on the 3rd of November with a seminar hosted by former Commissioner for Information Dr. Godwin Ikechukwu Uduehele, where he educated the students on the idea behind the tour and what Hon Okechuukwu planned to achieve with it.

Uduehele said “Hon. Toby Okechukwu is that person that assists some of you in the payment of your WAEC fees for 4 years now. He is the same person who took all the science teachers in Awgu, Oji River and Aninri to SEDI, transported them for 7 days, gave them training and also gave them mobile science kits.

“Toby is a product of a local school. As a result of this, he knows what it takes to do what he is doing. Some people at his level today will not remember the things he remembers. You are going to visit FRCN Enugu, and also NTA.

“These and more are what Hon Toby has packaged and wants to expose you people to these places. He wants to do it without any cost from the school or from the government. After the learning tour, you all will be given money. The teacher that also accompanied you will also be given money to wash their clothes with detergents.

“This is his own little contribution to assist the governor of Enugu state Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who has done well in educational activities because the system is very large and as such you don’t leave it to a particular person”, he said.

One of the principals thanked Uduehele saying “It’s really a very big privilege, most of us didn’t have such opportunity that is being given to us and it is a very wonderful opportunity”.

At NTA Enugu, the head of News department who received the students showed them different departments of the station such as the newsroom, editing studio, live studio, recording studio, their uses and so much more while also teaching them the need for the different departments and what they are meant for.

“NTA Enugu is a little different from the NTA Aba, Awka, Onitsha, Umahia and Owerri because of the tag, ‘network centre’ which is due to our digital satellite” he said.

Teaching them the use of the 5 W’s and H (Who, What, When, Where and How) and how it is applied in broadcasting, he also taught them why broadcasting is one of the most reverred professions in the world due to its role as the gatekeepers of the society.

From NTA Enugu, the excited students moved to Innoson Plastics Company where they were intrigued with the plastic making process the different types of plastics and what made them different.

Mr Clinton Ogudu, a worker at the factory who also served as a tour guide for the students took them on a tour of the facility, as well as engaging them in an interactive session where they experienced the process of plastic making.

The students also visited the Scientific Equipment Development Institute (SEDI) where they toured all the departments of SEDI. They were also put through on the proper use of some of the equipment found there.

Engr. Oforndu who represented Engr. David Daniel, the Acting MD and CEO of SEDI said the Institute is an arm of the National Agency for Science and Engineering of the federation.

“It is strictly supervised by the presidency. As a matter of mandate, the institute is to research and develop science equipment and engineering construction, that will be used for teaching you in the university.

“Our primary objective is to minimize importation, and make sure that teaching aids that students, right from basic to post basic level of education is produced and domesticated within. It is obvious that we know that majority of the items we use are imported into this country. And sadly it does not help the situation.

“We’ve also carried out an investigation and found out that the schools we manage within lack the basic facilities that will encourage effective learning in our schools and hence the need for local manufacturers and researchers, to go into the research and production of basic science equipments, that students in secondary school and universities will use for their experiments.

Addressing the students, tye lawmaker said “we are from a rural constituency and not like those who are studying in the urban, so I want you all to see and to experience what happens here.”

Talking about his alma mater, St. Vincent Secondary School Agbogugu , he noted that former Deputy Governor of Anambra state, Austin Ezenwa Agbalanze 1 of Abagana, Sentor Chuka Utazi, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who was once a teacher at the school, Hon. Cletus Enebe, Rev. Fr. Mbaka, Martin Ilo were all products of the school.

“There are people who came from our school to be something higher, so this tour you are making right now take it very serious, because it’s to make sure that you discover yourself and know your future is in your hands”, he said.

In a vote of thanks, one of the students of Community Secondary School Ugbo, Chinenye thanked Hon Okechukwu for his philanthropy as well efforts to encourage education in his constituency

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