Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s special education policy that saw the Southeast benefiting from the establishment of the Federal College of Education Technical at Isu in Ebonyi State in 2019.
He expressed the gratitude to the President when he received the Provost of the college and his principal officers, who visited him at the Government House, Owerri, yesterday.
Uzodimma said: “The College of Education is a very good boost not only to educational potentials in the Southeast, but will also go a long way in closing the gap in tertiary institution admissions, address the problem of unemployment in the region and stimulate the economy because of other activities that will be generated from the operations of the institution.”
He appealed to those from the region to support the smooth take-off and sustenance of the institution as the government, whether federal or state, cannot fund education alone.
The governor canvassed the need for corporate bodies and individuals to rally round the principal officers of the school for the smooth take-off.
He said his administration would seek further discussions with the college’s authorities on possible specific areas of support by the state government for a smooth take-off, enjoining the team to work hard to achieve success.
“Count on us and the state as partners,” he said, expressing confidence in the capacity of the provost to stay afloat even in the face of turbulence that may herald the commencement of the institution.
In an address he presented to the governor, the Provost of the Federal College of Education Technical Isu, Ebonyi State, Prof. Okey Reuben Okechukwu, said they were on a campaign that would take them round the five states of the Southeast, to solicit cooperation and assistance as the institution formally takes off in October this year as one of the six newly established Federal Colleges of Education by President Buhari in September, 2019 for the six geopolitical zones.
He recalled the several mandates and tasks assigned to them that included drawing up academic programmes, laying the timetable in line with national tertiary education calendar and sourcing students for admission accordingly.