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The President, Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Vickie Irabor, on Wednesday inaugurated a new school for children of staff and officers of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
The school, DIAOWA Preparatory School, Idi Musa Estate, Kyami District Abuja, was built by the Defence Intelligence Agency Officers Wives Association (DIAOWA).
Irabor said the social and economic environment in the country had challenged parents and caregivers on their wards’ safety and welfare.
She said the constant need to provide nutrition, education and safe environment were the growing areas of concern.
“Although multiple agencies have taken on the challenge of ensuring communities are resilient in the changing climes, a lot more work needs to be done to close the gaps,” she said.
Irabor noted that the military officers wives associations had done so much in this regard.
She assured that they would continue to keep the home front while their husbands go about their responsibility of securing the nation.
“As wives or mothers, our innate and natural instinct continue to guide us in being strategic on necessary projects to take on in assisting our husbands.
“This project executed by the Coordinator, DIAOWA, Mrs Adesuwa Adebayo, is one of those noble projects in our military community.
“DIAOWA has shown that it is fully ingrained in military community life with multipronged programmes to improve the educational levels of all age groups.
“We are aware of the dangers of ignorance and lack of education in our communities.
“The peculiar challenges of financing sustainable educational institutions to accommodate the continuously growing families within the barracks and service institutions make these Preparatory School a welcome and timely addition,” she said.
Irabor commended DIAOWA for the deliberate positioning of the school to provide support to the specific needs of the officers and their families in Kyami community with emphasis on proximity and ease of access.
She congratulated the staff of DIA and residents of Kyami community for the opportunity to access quality education.
Similarly, the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj.-Gen. Samuel Adebayo, noted that the distance between the DIA quarters and the nearest school was a concern to the agency, hence, the establishment of the school.
Adebayo said the agency remained committed to ensuring the provision of essential facilities such as school, water and electricity to its staff.
He said the school would serve the needs of personnel and the surrounding community.
“We hope that it will become a beginning of expansion of schools to come with secondary school and, if possible, something else.
“In addition to the school, we considered the need for the well being of the personnel and we have started the building of staff club with sporting facilities,” he said.
On her part, the Coordinator, DIAOWA, said the establishment of the school was to bring quality education to the doorstep of every child in the area.
“We believe that in order to bring about formidable, prosperous and valuable society we must establish structures and systems capable of developing the capacity of the human resources.
“One of such ways is to establish a standard and quality-orientated educational system.
“Concentration was given to Kyami area because it houses one of the most prominent accommodating establishment of the Defense Intelligence Agency, but sadly lack an educational institute,” she said.
The DIAOWA coordinator said the two-storey building, comprising 20 classrooms, equipped with air conditioning systems and computers, was part of the bigger picture of what they intended to do in future.
Revealed that the school has two computer rooms with seven computers set per room, five staff offices and an assembly hall with a capacity of over 100 pupils.
It also has a sickbay recreational facilities such as football, basketball, volleyball and bowl pitches, as well as children playground with creative toys.
According to Adebayo, the entire environment is well secured and has a standby generator to ensure 24-hour supply of electricity. (NAN)