The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Thursday, April 28, handed over the College of Education Ekiadolor, to the Federal Government in line with its new status as a Federal College of Education (Technical), to commence academic activities.
During the handover ceremony in Ekiadolor Community, Governor Obaseki expressed delight at the new status of the college, which he said will train teachers that will in turn train students on technical and vocational education.
A visibly elated Obaseki, said the colorful ceremony was the result of several months of work with the relevant federal government agencies overseeing the education sector after his request for a Federal College of Education, Technical, was granted by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He expressed his gratitude to the President and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who was represented at the occasion by the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Okwelle.
According to the Governor, “The federal government has been helping us through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in developing some of these schools. This federal college of education, technical, is going to help us in the revolution that we seek to achieve in our educational system in Edo.
“We have no regrets. If we have to give you more, we will. Even though the federal government now owns this school, we will still support you. We will provide security, build the road infrastructure and provide other infrastructure that we can assist you with.
“On that note I want to formally handover this school, which was previously owned by the Edo State Government to the Federal Government for the purpose of establishing and running a federal college of education that will train teachers on technical subjects.”
He however requested that the institution be named after the visionary former commissioner for education in the state, Tayo Akpata, who contributed significantly to the transformation of the State’s education landscape.
The Governor further said that his administration’s high premium on technical and vocational education was borne out of his commitment to address the skills gap in the labour market, caused by the overdependence on crude oil wealth which created a culture of importing most of the things Nigerians consume instead of a production-oriented economy.
“From when we wake up in the morning, everything we consume; the car we want to drive, our shoes, and the clothes we wear, we import. Now that we do not have that kind of money again, what are we going to do? Without foreign exchange we cannot live. Everybody is a trader,” Obaseki said.
He urged the new owner of the educational institution to create space for its students to produce and showcase their works and pledged to support the vision of the institution with more infrastructural facilities.
In his response, the minister of education commended the Obaseki-led government for prioritizing education and assured that the college will be supported to become a centre of excellence.
The event had in attendance the Commissioner for Education in the State, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Adaze Emwanta, the Chairman, Governing Council, Prof. Samuel Aduwa-Ogiegbaen, senior officials of the federal and state ministries of education, traditional rulers amongst others
