.Commissioner visits institution
By Oscar Kambona
The Provost of Abia State College of Education (Technical), Dr. Philips Nto, has attributed the successes recorded by the college in the last four years to the support, commitment and inspiration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
He said that the governor has through funding, policy initiatives, personal interest, and creating the enabling environment assisted the college in recording phenomenal progress in academic and infrastructural development.
Nto, the former World Bank consultant, who spoke in his office while welcoming the state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Kanaelechi Nwangwa, and other aides of the governor on education, expressed appreciation to the governor for lifting the college as a springboard for the implementation of his education-for employment initiative.
He said that the governor’s financial assistance has not only enabled the college to secure accreditation for most of its courses but ensured that more programmes were developed in vocational and technical education in line with the administration’s cardinal objective of training middle level manpower, who would turn out to be creators of jobs.
The provost also noted that the governor’s non-interference in the prosecution of TETFUND projects had made it possible for the college to execute those projects to specifications, thus qualifying for more interventions from the fund.
Nto, who announced that the college was currently engaging her students through on-line lectures assured the Commissioner that it was ready to re-open as it has the infrastructures for social distancing as well as other COVID-19 protocols as required by government and NCDC.
The Provost commended Nwangwa for his administrative ingenuity and humble disposition, which have marked him out as an exceptional leader who not only formulates policies but implements them.
Besides, the commissioner had said they were in ASCETA to assess the developments in the college and its readiness to re-open the institution whenever the government gives the go-ahead.
He expressed satisfaction with the monumental achievements of the Provost in just four years, admitting that the gigantic projects they saw on the ground far exceeded what they were told before the visit.
While pledging to convey to the governor the good news that ASCETA was on the right track in assisting the government to realize its education for employment policy, Nwangwa congratulated Nto for his reappointment, saying that it was well deserved.
“I will tell the governor that you are doing a lot. When others are having problems with TETFUND, you are working well with them. It means that you are judiciously making use of the money they give you. We are proud of you”, the Commissioner said.
Nwangwa announced that the government was placing emphasis on vocational education as a useable and applicable system to ensure that graduates are creators of jobs instead of looking for employment.
He described ASCETA as being critical in the training of middle-level manpower that will drive the education for the employment policy of the state government.
In his vote of thanks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Chief Okechukwu Hench Nweje described the Provost as Mr. Project and a good ambassador of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, saying that the team was impressed by the progress made by the college under Nto.