Akwa Ibom State Government don come out to refute claims say di Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC) in Ikot Ada Idem, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, no dey functional. Dem say dis claim be baseless and no make sense.
Reports bin dey circulate say di Centre, wey dem set up to provide vocational training, don turn to “glorified technical school” with little to no activity. But during a media tour on Wednesday, di Senior Special Assistant to Governor Umo Eno on Research and Documentation, Essien Nduese, counter dis claims, emphasizing say di facility be fully operational and making significant strides.
Nduese, who lead journalists to inspect di Centre, explain say di visit be arranged to give di media first-hand knowledge of di Centre’s activities and to dispel any misinformation. Di Rector of di Centre, Prof. Enoidem Usoro, accompanied by di Chairman of di Governing Council, Chief Churchill Udoh, and other management staff, describe di visit as timely.
Usoro assure di press say since di inauguration of di Governing Council on May 20, 2024, di Centre don be active. “Since di Governing Council was inaugurated, we immediately get to work. We establish di necessary protocols, open registration portals, and conduct tests and examinations for both trainees and trainers,” Usoro say.
She further explain say di Centre’s full operations were officially launched by di Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, on September 11th. “Di Governor had pledged to sponsor five trainees from each local government area, and currently, we have 250 trainees in di Centre—200 of whom are government-sponsored, while di remaining 50 are privately funded,” she add.
According to Usoro, di privately funded trainees pay a fee of N250,000, which covers accommodation, training kits, and other expenses, excluding feeding. Di Centre, Usoro reveal, operates five faculties: Agriculture, Hospitality and Lifestyle Management, Metal and Steel Fabrication, Wood Technology, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), along with general entrepreneurial training.
