By Mary Bassey, House of Assembly Correspondent
In a plenary held Wednesday 12th February, 2025, a motion adopted and sponsored by the Member representing Calabar Municipality State Constituency, Honorable Stanley Nsemo calls for establishment of alternative girl school in Cross River State.
Presenting the motion, the Lawmaker stated it’s the Federal Government of Nigeria’s initiative through the office of the First Lady to establish alternative girl school with emphasis on catering for the unique needs of the marginalized girls including those with disabilities and low income families
The first term Lawmaker, Hon. Stanley said those affected by conflicts will have a second chance of formal Education.
Nsemo noted that Cross River State is among the five pilot States Lagos, Oyo, Kwara and Imo, while the administrative structure will be seen from the office of the wife of the governor.
He emphasized the need for the establishment of the alternative girl school in the State to includes, substance abuse, family type, teacher/student molestation, teenage pregnancy and early marriages among others.
The member representing Calabar Municipal State Constituency, highlighted high number of school drop outs annually, numbering about 46,000. Adding that girl child is most vulnerable due to number of factors.
Assembly members in their divergent contributions, noted that the establishment of the alternative school for the girl child will create positive effects on the body and the minds, combined with the academics, when the traditional schools can not make a difference in the girl Child.
They opine that with the passage of the 2025 budget and Education sub-sector being allocated, encouraging figures for this fiscal year, the school can be spread to the three senatorial districts of the state to avoid concentration of students in the urban.
The Lawmakers prayed, “that the state government should take immediate steps to partner with relevant stakeholders in the Education sector to establish an alternative girl school in the state.
“That the state government should as well provide necessary counterpart funding and personnel needed for the school’s effective operation, with supervision under the office of the First Lady of the state, as well as the curriculum to be design by experts to address the unique needs of the disadvantaged girls.”
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, observed that white collar jobs are few nowadays and the primary purpose of the alternative school is to create high power entrepreneurship, mostly for the female school’s drop outs.
He expressed gratitude to the sponsor of the motion and co-sponsors as well as the federal government for including Cross River State among the five pilot States.
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