FG GIVES HOPE FOR THE CITIZENSHIP AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING CENTRE (SEA SCHOOL)

FG GIVES HOPE FOR THE CITIZENSHIP AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING CENTRE (SEA SCHOOL)

Hope was restored to Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (Sea school) Apapa in Lagos state as the Federal Government through Ecological Fund Office (EFO), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), approved one of its sixteen ecological intervention projects for the third quarter, 2018 to interven in the training school following the level of damages done by erosion and flood in the centre. The project included reinforced concrete embankment, rehabilitation of boat bay and water supply with a 22kva perkins generator.

Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre is a Sea School, a Parastatal in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sport Development located on an island, which made the school unique in Apapa, the institution had over the years been faced with threats of being washed away by erosion and flooding due to dredging activities around the island.

Commissioning the project, the Senate Committee chairman on Ecology and Climate Change, Sen. Olalekan Mustapha, said the completion of the project had underscored the Federal Government’s concerted effort and sincerity of purpose in tackling problems of its citizens and making life more meaningful for the people.

Sen. Mustapha said that the project was a testimony to the present administration’s promise that no part of the country will suffer any neglect owing to its geographical location or political consideration.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ecological Fund Office, (EFO) Dr.Habiba Lawal,

Said that the project was initiated through a request for an urgent intervention forwarded to the Ecological Fund Office by the Director General of the Citizenship& leadership Training Centre(sea school),in order to arrest the continuous ,erosion, flood and other ecological challenges in the school Campus and to avoid further environmental degradation.

Dr.Lawal represented by the Director of Special Duties, Mr.David Haruna attributed the timely completion to the effort of the project contractor and consultant who had worked tireless to ensure minimum loss of time in the project implementation schedule noting that the commissioning and handing over was expected to achieve the dual purpose of enabling the host community to take over and exercise ownership over the project, to en sure its maintenance and sustainability.

In his welcome address, the Director General, Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Mr.Jonah Bawa, explained that efforts were made in the past to rescue the school from ecological challenges which resulted in the commencement in phases, of the construction of perimeter embankment around the entire sea to prevent it from being washed away by constant wave and dredging.

While appreciating the Federal Government for the intervention, Mr.Bawa appealed for embankment and sand filling to a higher terrain. ”for the project not to be in vain, as constant dredging of channel for large sea Vessels is on-going which have been of gradual adverse effect on the project as seen in the disparity of the elevation between CLTC Sea School and Tin Can Port, the only way out is total embankment and proper sand filling of sea school to a higher level.”

He noted that the final phase will not only sustain the project but give the training school the required safety, comfort and guaranty to carry out its unique responsibility to Nigeria as well as the rest of West Africa, assuring that all the beneficiary of the project will take the advantage of the ecological security of the location to further launch developmental structures in the sea school with a view to making it more attractive and conducive for the participants.

Highlight of the ceremony included, unveiling of the plague, cutting of tape, inspection among others.

Some of the completed projects at the citizenship centre

Sen. Olalekan Mustapha (M) and other government officials cutting the commissioning tape.