At the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, it is celebration time, as the College rolls out drums to mark the 40th anniversary of its founding.
The event coincides with the mid-term review of the achievements of the college’s Provost, Prof. Kamoru Olayiwola Usman, who assumed the mantle of leadership of the institution, the first and only one of its kinds in sub-Saharan Africa, on August 7, 2017.
Already, a programme of activities to climax in the launching of a N5billion Endowment Fund and honorary awards to prominent Nigerians including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose administration as Military Head of State then approved the upgrading of the then Federal Advanced Teachers College of Education, as it was known then to its present status, with mandate to award the National Certificate of Education (NCE ) in May 1977.
The vision was to train manpower to cater for special education needs of individuals who for one reason or the other differ from others as a result of certain physical, environmental, social, mental or physiological impediments.
At present, SPED, as it is otherwise called, awards, in addition to the NCE, the Bachelor degree of the University of Ibadan, to which it is affiliated, and is itself in the process of being converted to a full fledged university. Already, a bill to this effect is under consideration by the National Assembly.
Giving a scorecard of the school at a press conference to kick-start the anniversary celebration on Monday, Prof. Usman recalled that the institution was originally meant to be established in Ibadan, but was attracted to its present location with the help of eminent indigenes of the area including the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi and Olu Afolabi, an erstwhile legislator.
Although it started with only 55 students and 15 staff members, the college has grown over the years to a student enrolment figure of 5,696 (regular students) pursuing various academic programmes most of which, were recently re-accredited by the National Commission on Colleges of Education (NCEE), with a staff population of 925.
Prof. Usman chronicled the growth and progress of the college noting: “Looking back over the past 40 years of service delivery to the Nigerian public, the college has witnessed tremendous growth and progress.”
He attributed the success recorded since inception to the foresight and industry of his predecessors, especially Profs C.A. Bakare and Taoheed Adedoja, whom, he credited with hastening its movement from its temporary location at Anglican/Methodist Grammar School, Ajagba, by their vigorous and massive development of infrastructure and provision of learning facilities at the permanent site at Jobele, completed between 1994 and 1996.
Giving the mid-term report of his own administration, the Professor of Mathematics, disclosed that he has been able to push up the college’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile by adding to the stock of investment facilities a bakery. For this purpose, an abandoned old building was completed, renovated and equipped.
To ensure transparency and accountability in the running of the college’s finances, which had dwindled until recently, Prof. Usman also set up a Directorate of Procurement in accordance with 2007 Procurement Act, in place of a non-functioning committee that had been in place for the purpose. The decision to have a permanent structure instead of the adhoc arrangement, he explained, stemmed from his experience when trying to do a Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the MIKAINO generating sets powering the campus, whereby he was able to save the college about N1.172million in cost.
The firm, which quoted for the job had submitted a bill of N1.2million. However, the Provost said he was able to get the same job done for a paltry N28,000 through direct labour. He noted with delight that despite fears expressed by some officials in the Works and Maintenance Department that the generator may pack up soon afterwards, they were still working perfectly well nine months after.
In the last two years, Usman further reported, members of both academic and non academic staff were assisted to attend capacity-developing seminars, conferences and workshops, while the vacant position of the Director of Medical Services was filled.
Gleefully, he announced that the college may have entered a new phase certain to end its days of financial crisis and inadequate funding as well as push the frontiers of the execution of its mandate, as the NCCE has given approval for the resuscitation of its outreach (part-time/sandwich) programmes hitherto banned alongside those of other tertiary institutions amid perceived abuse years ago.
To this end, the school has begun recruitment of lecturers to kick-start the programme at three of its centres in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
On his plan to make the college full boarding in partnership with private initiatives, Prof. Usman regretted that private developers invited to build hostel accommodation backed off the project, because, according to them, it would take about 200 years to recoup their investments, based on conditions set by the college management to protect the students from being exploited by prohibitive hostel fees.
“Three of the eight developers invited to build the hostels actually submitted drawings and so on, but they are reluctant to go ahead, because they said it would take them years in fact, a life time to make back their money. We also approached the Bank of Infrastructure, but it was the same story,” Prof Usman said, explaining, however, that negotiations were still going on.
He, however, assured that he intended having at least 50 percent of the students accommodated on campus, by the end of his tenure, which lapsed in two years hence.
To ensure this, the Provost said, the college was exploring the option of the alumni facilitating the building of the hostels by philanthropists and donors.
As part of programme of activities to mark the 40th anniversary, the college is embarking on the planting of 5,000 tree seedlings to populate the green reserve of its precincts as well as for investment for future generations. Members of the governing council, management, staff and students are all involved in the exercise programmes which kicked off over a month ago.
Prof. Usman gave kudos to the three trade groups on the campus as well as staff and students for their commitment, dedication, loyalty and support, without which, he admitted his administration could not have achieved much as it did.
He noted that between 2015 when he assumed office and now, several physical development projects were undertaken from scratch while renovation and physical overhauling were carried out on others, despite the constant shortage of fund.
Establishment of SPED Bakery
They include: establishment of the Directorate of Internal Quality Assurance and Control (IQAC) as directed by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCEE); the School of Early Childhood Care, Primary Education Studies and Adult and Non-formal Education (ECPA); sponsorship of staff for additional higher qualification training in United Kingdom, United States of America, and so on; establishment of Directorate of Educational Technology in the college; establishment of Gas plant in the college in collaboration with AONULAH Cooperative Unit ; introduction of SPED/MEED Networks Internet projects; commissioning of solar energy inverter at the School of Special Education and signing of MOU with Lagos State University to run Sandwich degree programme of LASU.
As part of the celebration Prof Usman said some eminent Nigerians and friends of the college shall be specially recognized with honorary awards for their contributions to the growth of the college in order to encourage them further.
There will also be a merit award ceremony for serving staff members of the college who through their initiatives and commitment had greatly contributed to the development of the college over the years.
In addition, there will be paralympics games for students with disabilities in South-West, Nigeria, which shall feature various sporting activities among the participants.