By Jonathan Ugbal; Government House Correspondent
Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade says he will award the sum of NGN2million to the best researcher on the topic; “The Superhighway As A Means Of Decoupling Cross River From The Dependence On Federal Allocation Via Public, Private Partnership”.
However, only members of the Course 39 study group of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji in Kaduna state currently in Calabar for research activities are eligible candidates for the price with a charge from Ayade to remain “instruments of change and major campaigners of our project.”
Ayade disclosed this while receiving the Course members led by the commandant of the college, Air Vice Marshall Suleiman Dambo at the EXCO chambers of the Governor’s office in Calabar where he pointed out that the theme of the research for the year as earlier disclosed by AVM Dambo will go a long way in aiding the development and history of the state.
“I do understand that your college is primarily responsible for doctrine, discipline and training of military officers, but what sounds exciting as a new dimension is the new calisthenics of introducing intellectual research work and focusing on socio-economic growth of the state with emphasis on Public Private Partnership” Ayade said.
He said the decision to construct the Superhighway is a deliberate effort and product of a dynamic research aimed at decoupling the citizenry from dependence on federal allocation was the right thing to do while creating an entirely new vista of opportunities for an enhanced income base.
“The superhighway will provide a satellite digital antenna Wifi system with a fibre optic to direct the electric poles running on the highway with a Wifi signal” Ayade said, adding that; “Whether you are in a vehicle, train or on the highway which is a gateway from the Atlantic coast of Niger Delta to Northern Nigeria, you are going to enjoy complete internet connectivity with direct access to the digital clouds for downloads of music while on your journey so, you really will not have a boring trip.”
Continuing, Ayade argued that the Superhighway if completed will liberate the state financially and commended the AFCSC for choosing the state as one of those to be visited as; “Cross River at this point is grabbling with the issues of socio-economic development as the nation faces economic recession and the lack of evacuation corridor for young men to find jobs, precipitating from the reduction in oil price globally which, by no fault of the present government, we have found ourselves in this situation.”
Earlier, AVM Dambo explained that the research activities are part of the senior course curriculum for an environmental study group to go on research in order to identify critical socio-economic lives of some states in the federation.
Dambo who disclosed that Cross River happens to be one of the 10 states to be visited, said the theme for this year’s research is; “Enhancing Socio-Economic Development Through Public Private Partnership,” also said that the task will afford students within and outside Nigeria to mingle with the people of the state and contribute to the development of the country at large.
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