By Magnus Effiong
The Obong of Calabar, His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, has appealed to the federal government to complete the Department of State Service school, christened ‘State Service Technical Academy,’ located in Adiabo in Odukpani local government area of Cross River state.
Edidem Abasi-Otu V, who made the appeal in Calabar while playing host to Syndicate 4 of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 of the National Institute of Security Studies Abuja, observed that the training school has been overgrown with weeds at a great financial cost to the federal government.
Speaking while commending the President Bola Tinubu-led administration for tackling headlong security challenges in the country, the Monarch said: “I am happy that the federal government is not sleeping over security challenges bedeviling the country.
“From what we are seeing, the government has taken the security of our country as a priority and this is paying off significantly. This is to show that the government exists for the people, and is elected to protect and add meaning to the lives of its citizenry. I am happy that the security challenges have reduced drastically.”
The Monarch believed that when completed, the State Service Technical Academy, which is located in his country home, would add to what the security agencies were already doing.
He said: “I am appealing that the federal government and the DSS authorities in Abuja should cause us to have a feel of their goodwill by completing the Technical Academy which was brought to us.
“The school is one-quarter completed. Grasses have taken over and swallowed structures which were erected at the site of the school, and it is an eyesore.
“Again, I use this opportunity to appeal to the DSS Director in Cross River to take this message to the headquarters that we are still waiting for the completion of that school. The school, when put into use, would enhance our security efforts and create an added picture of security in Cross River state.”
Speaking earlier, the Team Leader of the Syndicate 4 of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 of the National Institute of Security Studies Abuja, Evelyn Kwasau, explained that Syndicate 4 was drawn from 29 agencies in Nigeria and seven agencies from other five African countries including Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana and Rwanda.
“They are in the institute for a 10-month course to impact on participants the required knowledge to address the complex security challenges in our countries and to foster inter-agency synergy and cooperation.
“The theme of this year’s course is ‘Artificial Intelligence, Security and Emerging Economies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects.’ To interrogate this theme, we usually undertake local, State and regional study tours. We are in Cross River state for the second leg of this tour,” she stated.
