By Elah Geoffrey Mbongalle
The statutory board members of the Limbe Nautical Arts and Fisheries Institute, LINAFI have adopted almost FCFA 1 billion as budget for the 2017 academic year. This was done last Friday, June 2, 2017 during the 2nd ordinary statutory board members meeting at the precincts of the institution under the patronage of the minister of Livestock, fishery and animal industry, Dr. Taiga.
The budget as explained by the director of the institution, Dr. Etah Collins Ayuk, will help to source for more equipment and technical personnel for the school which will be rolling out its first batch by July. The money will also enable the institution to purchase a simulator that will be used for practical work on land.
Apart from adopting the budget, the meeting was also aimed at examining the rules and regulations that would govern the school.
Dr. Etah Collins while announcing that another entrance examination into the school will be launched by July also stressed on the need to make the workshops more reliable and increase in staff strength as the needs arise. He hinted that since the school year took off, activities have been going on smoothly and there would be room for expansion as more programs are introduced.
The Limbe Nautical Arts and Fisheries Institute is home to 72 pioneer students grouped into three disciplines, viz; 21 students in industrial fishing and navigation, 25 marine engineers and 24 fisheries technology students. Of the 75 students initially admitted into the institution, two students withdrew; one of them withdrew because he gained admission into the military while the other could simply not cope with tuition which is approximately FCFA 500,000.
Prior to the board members meeting, the minister of livestock, fisheries and animal industry visited some of the workshops in the school and was presented with some practical demonstrations by the students using the various machines in their workshops. The minister was accompanied by the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako, Zang III, the Representative of the government delegate to the Limbe City Council, Charles Arrey Nkongho, the Divisional Officer for Limbe II, Douga Emerand and the staff of LINAFI.