The Governor, who was visibly touched on seeing the status of the hostel buildings in the school, directed that a comprehensive report on the school’s renovation requirement be submitted to his office latest by Monday next week.  

Alhaji Ahmed, accompanied on the visit by top government functionaries, disclosed that his visit to the school was to enable him collect first hand information on the school and the areas of needs that requires urgent government attention.  

He said government would create a platform for skills acquisition so that students of the school can be taught to acquire various vocational skills.  

"I have come to see what is available in the school to make life meaningful for the students and get them fully integrated into the society" he said.  

The governor, who also assured teachers and students of the school that teaching facilities in the school would be improved upon, urged the teachers to endeavour to train the students in such a way that they would be able to face future challenges.  

According to him, renovation of the school would commence immediately with the critical areas such as the hostel, classroom and laboratories, adding that a substantial part of the renovation work was expected to be ready for commissioning within the first 100 days of his administration.  

"I assure you that before the year runs out, you will have a brand new school for Special Needs," the governor disclosed further, promising that his administration would do everything humanly possible to make the children feel like Nigerians.  

Earlier, the Principal of the School, Hajia Aisha Raji had expressed appreciation on behalf of the Management, Staff and Students to Governor Ahmed for his genuine concern and for making the school the first to be visited since he assumed duty.  

The School, according to the Principal, was established in 1974 by the State Government to provide qualitative education for children with special needs with a view to making them self- reliant.  

Hajia Raji, however, appealed for government assistance in the areas of inadequate staffing, food subvention, non-availability of science-based laboratories, poor electricity supply, inadequate sporting materials and erosion problem, among others. 

Abdulwahab Oba
Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor
17/06/2011