The immediate past Provost of Abia State College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu (ASCETA), Dr Philips Nto has described the institution as the most suited to host the proposed South East University.
He said the institution boasts of requisite infrastructure to host a university, including the added advantage of a serene environment.
Nto who was reacting to the plan by South East governors to site the university at Arochukwu, noted that the college already has high-powered structures and technical equipment to host any kind of a university.
According to him, within his seven years stay as Provost, he was able to attract from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), ten solid buildings that can accommodate as many faculties as possible.
Said he ” TETFUND was magnanimous to approve these structures for ASCETA when I was the Provost. Beyond that, they equipped all of them to serve the needs of both staff and students ”
According to him, ASCETA currently has the largest library in the entire South East, while e learning equipment for linkages had been set up in most of the classrooms.
Dr Nto who is a former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning in Abia State disclosed that he had made presentations to both the Executive Council of the state as well as the State House of Assembly on the need to transform ASCETA into a university.
He argued that transforming the college into a university will automatically solve the problem of low enrollment, currently plaguing the institution as well as projecting it into the world for patronage.
He commended Gov Alex Otti for recommending ASCETA to his brother governors for the siting of the South East University.
” Arochukwu is a historical city .ASCETA currently has the best structures and modern infrastructure, which I attracted from TETFUND. I pray that this vision of the South East governors comes to fruition”,Nto declared.
