Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has appealed to the Federal Government to convert the Federal College of Education in Okene to a university in order to boost educational development across the country.
He made the appeal during the 15th combined convocation of the college over the weekend in Okene.
The institution, he said, had what it takes in terms of staff and infrastructure, to become a university of education.
He noted that the college in the last four decades had contributed immensely to the training of qualified teachers for basic education, and was long overdue for the upgrade.
The governor reiterated the importance of education to national development, stressing that the sector topped the “five thematic areas of his new direction agenda policy”.
He praised the Provost, Dr Iyela Ajayi, for what he described as his selfless service that made the institution one of the best in the country.
In his address, the Governing Council Chair of the institution, Sa’ad Abubakar, said that in the past eight years, the college had enjoyed peace, harmony and uninterrupted academic calendar.
He added that the students were doing well academically.
He said: “I am highly impressed by the academic excellence demonstrated by students as exemplified by the result posted by the graduates of the college’s degree programmes. The first set of the graduates of the degree recorded five First Class, while the second set returned a record of 12 First Class. These impressive results are clear testimony of the high academic tone of the college which the governing council would maintain and even build upon”.
In his address, Ajayi appealed to the Federal Government to improve funding to the institution, saying that the internally generated revenue of the college was hardly enough in the face of competing demands.
“As a result of the expanding students’ population and the concomitant need for infrastructural facilities for teaching and learning, the present level of funding is hardly adequate. The financial resources at the disposal of the college can no longer cope with enormous resources involved in maintaining the utility services for our staff and students and also meeting the increasing demands for staff earned academic and other allowances,” he said.
Ajayi whose tenure ends next month, suggested to the government to make master degree as the minimum qualification for teaching in colleges of education to improve quality of teaching.
He praised Bello for approving the construction of a pedestrian bridge near the college’s main gate – to prevent accidents and loss of lives – and a police post.
