…facilitates for former principal to buy car
Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule said he set up the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technical Institute Lafia, as appreciation for what technical education has done to him.
Engineer Sule made this known while speaking at the emergency congress of the Bukuru Old Students Association (BOSAT), in Lafia, on Saturday.
The Governor used the opportunity of the event to recount and appreciate how technical education paved the way for him to rise from being a janitor to his present position as a governor.
He said when he came onboard as governor, he saw the establishment of the institute as an opportunity to bring his knowledge and experience to bear towards impacting on the lives of the people of Nasarawa State.
While recounting how he left his alma mater to proceed on scholarship at the Indiana State University in the United States, Engineer Sule narrated how his wielding background made it possible for him to successfully graduate, rise in his career and to become what he is today.
Engineer Sule recounted how weilding came to his rescue while still a student in the United States.
“I looked for a part time weilding job paying 2.75 USD an hour. I will now go an spend all the hours I could possibly do carrying out weilding and I made a lot of money and I became richer than my friends.
“I was able to graduate in 3 years with 4 years scholarship. Then the last one year I did my masters because I had a wielding job.
“On my return to Nigeria, I worked in Jos steel rolling company only for about three years and returned to Houston, Texas where because of the opportunity in the area of weilding I was for the first time introduced into the oil and gas sector.
“I was not an oil person originally. I was trained a weilder and then I did mechanical technology. At the end of the day, I was using that knowledge to work on an oil and gas platform, because on the platform, weilders and fabricators are kings. I started taking the siesmic acquisition equipment on my back and going around to acquire seismic. Eventually they moved me into a weilding shop to do a CNC machine programming and operation. That’s where I learned about all the conversational programme in the CNC,” he said.
He said his knowledge and experience informed the decision to set up the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technical Institute in order to give back to the society.
“That is why I said when I come to Nigeria, in Nasarawa State, when I set up a technical school, there must be a CNC machine. I was a hot cake just like any CNC programmer.
“It doesn’t matter what anyone says, I feel fulfilled. I feel I have been able to bring the knowledge, the experiences I had in order to impact on our people locally.
“But I have always worked hard for it and I was never afraid to get my hands dirty in the process of doing that. Because from mopping the floor as a janitor to weilding, the opportunities got better till when I became Managing Director, Africa Petroleum and the rest until this moment that I am now Governor,” Engineer Sule added.
He said the dream he had for the technical institute was for it to compete and even exceed Bukuru Technical College.
“You keep making lots of good comments about our initiative to set up this institute. I want to tell you, I think the first commendation should go to Senator Tanko Al-makura. In reality, he started the building. I came and met the building. He started to do something else, but I saw an opportunity to set up an institute that would compete with Bukuru Technical College. And that was the dream I had,” he stated.
Engineer Sule who was visibly elated to see his former teachers and school mates, appreciated the first black principal of his alma mater, Elder Godwin Gambe.
The Governor announced a personal donation of an undisclosed amount of money which he said will facilitate for Elder Gambe to purchase a car. He also undertook the payment of association dues for his former principal, requesting officials of BOSAT to compute ten years dues which he will settle.
Engineer Sule thanked the BOSAT officials for recognizing him with an award, as well as four other members of the association who were recently elected into various political offices, including Hon. Kudu Ajegana Jacob, member representing Nasarawa-Eggon East at the state house of assembly.
In an opening remarks, BOSAT president, Raphael Rume said Nasarawa was chosen to host the association’s congress meeting for the purpose of unity, as well as encourage and appreciate BOSAT members from Benue and Nasarawa States.
“Another reason why we are here today is to identify ourselves with our amiable Governor and some of our members. As a matter of fact, our dear Governor, has over the years combined humility, wisdom, experience and civility in the task of administering a multifaceted state like Nasarawa State, though changing the narrative in governance and thereby eliciting the confidence of the people of the state,” Rume said.
The BOSAT president congratulated Engineer Sule on his well deserved reelection as Governor of Nasarawa State, which is an endorsement of the unshaken confidence the people of have on him.
Pioneer black principal of the former Government Technical Training School (GTTS) Bukuru, Elder Godwin Gambe, in a goodwill message, underscored the significant role of technical education in development.
According to him, technical education has been to other countries a chance for development but in Nigeria technical education has been overlooked.
He however commended the various governments in Nasarawa State for uplifting technical education since from the administration of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
“One thing stands firm, it’s not an accident. Nasarawa is the only state where BOSAT members were governors. Abdullahi Adamu was the first one. I was his teacher. Let me tell you the secret. Nasarawa recognize technical education that is why this meeting is taking place here today. I always mention that each time we have a meeting, that people that built the reputation of BOSAT are outside Plateau,” he said.
In a welcome address, Executive Director, Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technical Institute, Dr Daniel Ewuga Asele, said within the existence of this institute, it’s already making waves in Nigeria, with visitors arriving on a daily basis from across the states, including Abuja.
“When His Excellency came into power, we already had technical colleges spread across the senatorial zones of the state. But when he came, he quickly expanded the scope of these technical colleges. Again, he felt there’s need to establish a place that those technical colleges will become a feeder to that place,” Dr Asele added.
