Governor Umo Eno is not playing politics with governance but is sincerely working to connect the dots and improve the people’s lives.
Contrary to speculations in some quarters that the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre, DASAC, Ikot Ada Idem in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area is a mere “glorified technical school” with no activities, a recent unscheduled visit to the institution reveals a bustling hub of learning and skills development.
This was disclosed when the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Research and Documentation, Dr. Essien Ndueso, led journalists on Tuesday’s tour of the centre.
The media professionals were impressed as they observed trainees and instructors engaging in routine activities at the vibrant yet serene skills acquisition institution.
Conducting journalists around different departments of the centre, the Rector, Prof. Enoidem Usoroh, in the company of the Chairman, Governing Council, Chief Churchill Udoh and other management staff of the centre, described the visit as timely and important.
Related: Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre Kicks Off with Government Sponsorship for 155 Students
Some of the departments visited with trainees spotted in classes include information and communication technology, ICT, fashion and design, catering, shoe making, fisheries, livestock, poultry, snail farms, furniture, welding and fabrication, and lots more.
Speaking during the tour, the Rector, Prof. Usoroh, said since the inauguration of the Governing Council, the centre has been up and running.
“From 20th May 2024, when the Governing Council was inaugurated, we went to work, set modalities, opened portals for registration, and conducted all the required tests and examinations for both trainees and trainers.
“The Governor, through the Education Commissioner, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, officially flagged off full operations of the centre on September 11th.
“Recall that the Governor had promised to sponsor at least five trainees per local government, so we currently have 250 trainees in the centre: 200 government-sponsored and 50 private trainees.
“Each of those private trainees pays a fee of two hundred and fifty thousand naira, which covers accommodation, training kits and other expenses excluding feeding.
“The centre currently has five faculties: agriculture, hospitality and lifestyle management, metal and steel fabrication, wood technology, and ICT, in addition to general entrepreneurial training.”
Also fielding questions from journalists, the Chairman, Governing Council, Chief Churchill Udoh, who said the centre is a full-boarding institution, added that DASAC has the capacity to take up to 500 trainees per batch in the modern UNESCO standard.
“Despite having over 2,000 applications, we decided to start this facility with 250 trainees because, as entrepreneurs, we believe in the philosophy of starting small and growing big.
“Before being admitted, all trainees took an aptitude test, did written exams, did practical and still went through screening conducted by a team from the University of Lagos,” Udoh added.
On the sustainability plan, Chief Udoh added that the management team of the institution is made up of people with proven integrity and excellent records capable of taking the institution to an enviable height.
