The Pankshin Old Boys Association, POBA has donated 103 Double Bunk Metal Beds to its Alma Mater, Government College Pankshin to support accomodation efforts in the school.
Leading executive and members of the association to the presentation on the school premises in Pankshin, the POBA National President Kenzy Ngupar said the beds which are expected to conveniently offer 206 students sleeping space was completely an effort of the association raised through sacrifices by members.
He said the initiative was conceived after it identified lack of bedding space as on critical issue confronting the school at the moment.
Kenzy Ngupar added that with the ongoing transformation of the school by Government with new structures this gesture of donations of 103 double bunk beds will support governments drive to reviving the lost glories of the school and placing it amongst one of the top technical colleges in the country again.
While commissioning the beds for onward presentation on behalf of POBA an alumnus of the school who was a former speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly and currently Member Representing Pankshin North Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly,Rt.Hon.Dewan Gabriel Kudangbena commended the Kenzy Ngupar led Executive of the Pankshin Old Boys Association for what he described as a touch to the heart of what affects the students and will aid their learning.He said when students have a comfortable place to sleep,their brains will rest an learning will improve.
Dewan charged the management of the school to ensure the protection of the beds as 103 metal beds must have consumed so much resources to produce.
He promised to continue to partner with POBA as his Alma Mata to see that critical areas of need are addressed as they fall under the plans of Pankshin North Constituency where he represents.
Receiving the Beds on behalf of the Hon.Commissiner for Education the Director of Schools in State Ministry of Education,Mr Sabastine John accompanied by the Zonal Director,Mr Moses Dakup as well as Acting Area Director of Education Pankshin LGC,Mr Rottdung Peter Litim praised the Old Boys of Government College Pankshin for what was described as a very positive partnership between POBA and Government of Plateau State.
He said if not for the short notice coupled with the very pressing engagement of the Hon Commissioner, Professor Gloria Samuel Karuri,she would have loved to lead the entire top management of the Ministry to receive and handover the beds to the school.
He assured POBA and Government College Pankshin of very close partnership saying besides ongoing interventions at the school Government will explore other collaborations going forward.
Principal of Government College Pankshin on behalf of Management, Staff and Students of the School showered encomiums on POBA while acknowledging this as the project number 25 that has so far been done in the school and which her today functioning among which are two functional boreholes, solarization of the entire school premises, provision of electric welding machine and mowers for the school,provision of classroom chairs and the current donation of 103 double bunk metal beds amongst others.
The Principal however said the shortage of teachers in mostly the science and technical subjects is seriously a challenge hoping that government will help fill those gaps with the current planned recruitmentof teachers into some of those areas.
He promised to guard against vandalisation of the beds and said the school had already mapped out a model to ensure they are safe.
Earlier the POBA project committee through it’s Secretary who is also the POBA Secretary General Kwaltamai Ibrahim counted the 103 metal double bunk beds and handed them over for the ceremony saying they went for the best and supervised everything.He said while some were constructed in the open marked some where done within the metal work capacity of the college as it is a technical college hoping with the intervention currently going on in the school by the Plateau State Government, all metal,wood and other crafts issues will not be taken out but handled within the school and by students.
Part of the excitements of the day was the appreciation by staff of the school present who received a huge cash support from the Member Representing Pankshin North in the State Assembly, Rt.Hon.Dewan Gabriel Kudangbena.
