EDUCATION FOR THE GIRL CHILD
The Commissioner for Information and
Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah has
described Education as the key to the
development and freedom of The Girl Child.
The Information Boss was speaking recently at
the celebration of the 2015 International Day of
the Girl Child, organized by the Center for
Gender and Women Studies (CGS) University of
Uyo, held at the multi-purpose hall of the Main
Campus of the institution,
Mr, Aniekan Umanah emphasized that Education
is the only key to the total emancipation of the
Girl Child from the numerous traditional and
social barriers that militate against her
development and rise to the peak of her career
and professional pursuit like her male
counterpart.
Represented by a Director in the Ministry of
Information and Communications, Mrs. Grace
Akpan, the Information Commissioner
commended University of Uyo and indeed the
Centre for Gender Studies for anchoring the
event, which he said was very crucial for the
survival of a Girl Child in a competitive world of
today.
He acknowledged the theme for the 2015
celebrations – ‘The Power Of The Adolescent Girl:
Vision 2030’ , describing the age bracket as the
budding stage of a woman, which requires much
mentoring, tutelage and counseling to evolve into
a sound, mature and disciplined adult who can
stand up to the challenges of womanhood.
Mr . Aniekan Umanah noted that the present
State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel is gender –
friendly through the fair representation of women
in his cabinet and in the College of Permanent
Secretaries and urged the Girl child to see these
women who have realized their full potentials as
role models in their bid to invest in an enviable
future.
He enumerated the policies and programmes put
in place by the State Government for the
betterment of the Girl child, such as the
domestication of the Child Rights Law and the
Free and Compulsory education for every Akwa
Ibom child and charged Parents and Care-givers
to take advantage of this Free Education policy
to empower the Girl child.
As one of the sponsors of 2015 International Day
of the Girl Child celebrations in the State, Mr.
Umanah, congratulated all the Female
Graduating Students in the Honours Roll of
University of Uyo and donated a laptop to the
best graduating Female student of Faculty of
Arts, Department of History and International
Studies, Miss. Enomfon Edet Antai, with CGPA of
4.52.
The Commissioner tasked the Centre for Gender
Studies to carry out more sensitization for the
Girl child to put her on the right future path and
advised adolescent girls to resist anything that
will forestall their future, even as they arise to
their full potentials in the spirit of ‘dakkada’
launched recently by the Udom Emmanuel – led
government.
In her remarks, the chairperson for the occasion
and Commissioner for Science and Technology,
Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth D. Obot who was
represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr.
Nestor Udoh, urged the adolescent girls to build
strong characters of integrity and hard work, as
potential leaders and implored them to aspire to
become achievers by taking the right decision at
all times.
Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor University of
Uyo, Prof. (Mrs.) Comfort Ekpo, who was
represented by the, Deputy Vice Chancellor,
Administration Prof. Trenchard Ibia, in a welcome
address, noted that this year’s theme “The
Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision 2030.” is
very apt considering the inequalities the girl child
faces in the society.
The vice chancellor hinted that education has
the power to build the girl child positively for the
future and help her surmount such challenges
like poverty, all forms of abuses against women,
child and maternal mortality and also empowered
them to realize their full potentials.
In a keynote address presented by the State
Solicitor=General and Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Justice, Lady Barr. Gloria Umoren,
October 11 was enunciated by United Nations for
an annual celebration of the International Day of
the Girl Child (Day of the Girl) to ponder on the
importance of the Girl child and gender generally
on issues of sustainable development.
The keynote speaker reiterated that the 2015
celebrations highlight the unique challenges and
potentials of adolescent girls, adding that the
importance of education cannot be
overemphasized as a vital element in the
development of the girl child and indeed the
Nation. She then advised the girls to aspire to be
great leaders by utilizing opportunities inherent in
education for their self empowerment and
actualization.
High point of the event was the presentation of
awards to best graduating female students from
each faculty of the University of Uyo and a
school debate on the theme of the 2015
celebration between Rayfield International and
Fortune High School, Uyo.
Nsikak Esenowo
Information Officer
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