By Tony Adibe
The MTN Foundation has renovated, fully equipped and solar-powered physics, chemistry, biology and agric laboratories in Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu. Inaugurating the laboratories on Thursday in the school, Gov. Peter Mbah lauded MTN Foundation for being part and parcel of the overall development of the state especially in healthcare, water provision, education and road projects.
Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Lawrence Ezeh, noted that MTN had showcased “that it remains the best network provider in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reach in the country”. According to him, apart from these laudable laboratories being inaugurated today, the telecommunication giant has intervened in healthcare and clean drinking water provision in many rural communities in the state.
He said, “Enugu State Government is already partnering with MTN to ensure the repositioning of the fortunes of our children in terms of learning. We are currently building 260 smart schools, which will be 100 per cent digitalised and will cater for education from cradle to JSS-3 level of each child in the state.
“Also, MTN is doing great work in ongoing construction of Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Dual Carriageway and other CSR interventions that touch our people directly. As a state, we say thank you.”
The governor, however, tasked the old boy’s association of the school to monitor the use and safety of the facilities provided by the MTN Foundation. Earlier, Executive Director of MTN Foundation, Mrs Odunayo Sanya, said that the Foundation would also construct a solar-powered water borehole to grant 24 hours availability of water to the laboratories and ensure their optimal functionality.
Sanya said that MTN Foundation was focused on promoting science and technology by renovating and equipping science laboratories, providing training for teachers and laboratory attendants nationwide. She noted that the foundation’s legacy projects in schools would ultimately enhance the teaching and learning experience in key science subjects.
“We have also intervened in healthcare especially revitalising and equipping Primary Healthcare Centres like one we recently completed in Awgu community and numerous solar-powered boreholes, and water schemes the foundation provided in rural communities in the state. We want the facilities provided to be used by generations of students to come, so we want the school management and everybody concerned to jointly protect it for use for successive generations of students,” she said.
Responding, Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Enugu, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ike, applauded MTN Foundation for bringing back teaching and learning of science among teachers and students as well as bringing learning of science subjects to life in the school.
Ike, who is also the Proprietor of the school, noted that with MTN Foundation support, all forms of alternative to practical during test and examinations would stop and “our students have all test tubes, utensils and reagent chemicals for practical now”.
He said, “The world is going towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and only through doing the subjects that promote STEM the state and country can move ahead in science, technology and innovation.
“With what MTN Foundation is doing, I sincerely believe that the results of our students in internal and external examinations will improve tremendous and it will be a positive influence on our students to prefer science and technological subjects.”
The National President, Old Boys of Union Secondary School, Dr Nkem Nwokeabia, appreciated Management of MTN Nigeria ably chaired by Dr Ernest Ndukwe, for deeming it fit to consider the school to benefit from MTN’s nationwide gesture of magnanimity.
“Today will go down in history as a memorable day for our great citadel of learning particularly those who are science and technology enthusiastic as MTN Nigeria has fulfilled their dream and desire for digitally equipped laboratories,” Nwokeabia said.
The Principal of the school, Ven. Moses Ifeanyi-Eze, assured that the facilities would be carefully used, adding: “I am assuring MTN Foundation and all that the school would jealously protect and account for the laboratories”.
