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UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, AGBOR IN THE OFFING



By Andy Adaigbe.

There are strong indications that  the Delta state college of education, Agbor will soon be upgraded to a University Status. This may not be unconnected with the recent moves by different groups and individuals to prevail on the state government to upgrade the school to a University of Education.
 Recently, The executive members of Agbor Community led by its President General, Mr Lucky Mgbeken, paid a courtesy visit to the Provost of College of Education, Agbor, Dr. Joseph Ukadike where they said they had visited His Royal Majesty, Dr. Benjamin Keagborekuzi I, the Dein of Agbor Kingdom and His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, appealing to the governor to assist in upgrading the College of Education Agbor to a University of Education. The Agbor community leadership said the appeal became necessary because the students' intake into the NCE programme of the College was at its lowest ebb. According to them, functional education was a strong point in the Governor's development agenda, noting that the College was already running Degree programme in affiliation with Delta State University, Abraka, which had led to the graduation of thousands of students over the years. The Agbor President General said that such a gesture will be highly beneficial to the Ika nation and Delta state. They told the provost that the Governor's response to their appeal was encouraging.
The President General concluded by asking the provost about the challenges facing the College for possible assistance from Agbor Community members and other well meaning members of Agbor and Ika extraction.
Responding, the Provost, Dr Joseph Ukadike, thanked the President and his executive members for the visit, as well as the concern, love and care they have for the College.
     The Provost also used the opportunity to inform them about some of the problems the college was facing to include, accreditation of some courses, and low admission intake for NCE students, which he said was affecting the funds of the College. The other problems he said include non-availability of vehicles and the withdrawal in principle of one billion naira (N1bn) TETFUND intervention.
 
 According to some stakeholders in the institution who were interviewed on the status of the college and achievements of the past provost, Dr. Duke Okobia, said that he assumed office as provost, College of Education, Agbor in 2010   attracted landmark projects and recorded huge achievements to include the “construction of story building block of classrooms at the College Demonstration School at Old Site, which was completed through Internally Generated Revenue (I.G.R), construction of blocks of offices for Academic Staff at New Site through Internally Generated Revenue, construction of 1000 capacity lecture auditorium by ETF in the New Site, construction of School of Languages Complex by ETF at the New Site, equipping of College Library with the modern learning and reading chairs and tables at Old and New Sites; up-grading of College Library with e-Libray facilities at new site, the furnishing of lecture Hall and lecture theatres with chairs and desks, furnishing of ETF 1000 capacity Auditorium through Internally Generated Revenue and the renovation of buildings in the College.
 Speaking further, the respondents disclosed said that Dr. Okobia  equally attracted Tet-Fund Special Intervention into the College for the construction of School of Science Complex, School of Education Complex, Centre for Educational Technology, Academic block offices, School of Early Childhood and Care Building, Equipping, Furnishing, and Upgrading of Learning facilities.
 They mentioned other achievements of Dr. Okobia to include, “Perimeter fencing of the College land (permanent site), up grading of the college degree programme from Part-Time status to Full Time programme by securing approval from National Universities Commission, Abuja (NUC) for full recognition in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) after graduation; accreditation of nine degree programmes in  the College, equipping of College I.C.T Centre with computer systems to enhance the students learning and research; beatification of College environment through Internally Generated Revenue, the establishment of College block industry to enhance the Internally Generated Revenue of the College and encouraging of Academic staff to pursue their Higher Academic qualifications through study leave with pay and assistance from Tet-Fund.

A member of the Governing Council of the College, Dame Patience Iyasere, in a chat with Journalists, affirmed that almost, if not all the lecturers in the college of Education Agbor, are doctorate degree holders with the current provost, Dr. (Chief) Joseph Ukadike much more qualified to be the Vice-Chancellor (VC) if the college assumes university status.

Meanwhile, the Students who graduated from the College of Education, Agbor, affiliated to Delta State University Abraka, have been mobilised to participate in batch A stream 1 of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) which according to Ukadike, "is a dream come true" and this development actually gave credence to the agitation for a university status to be conferred on the college.  According to him, over 300 students of the institution are being mobilised for the next batch of the national youth service year, saying “indeed, it is a milestone in the educational development of the college.”

Majority of Deltans are of the opinion that the human and financial resources being chenneled to DELSU for its benefit are in Agbor. In order words, the lecturers, students and finances are domiciled in the College of Education. Others are also of the opinion that Since DELSU is domiciled in Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state, to serve mainly Delta South and Delta Central Districts with many disciplines (courses), let the canvassed University of Education be situated at Agbor to serve Delta North Senatorial District and its catchment area being that College of Education Agbor, has two campus with many up to date infrastructural amenities.
They also stated that The proposed university would be exclusively for raising teachers to the desired point of excellence and that changing the profile of the college would halt the depopulation of the college currently going on as students are becoming interested in acquiring degrees in Education rather than NCE. Since the students, now seek admission into DELSU and other universities to do education with the suffix – B.A Education etc.

Therefore it behoves on the Governor, Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa to use his good offices to set up a committee with the Provost, Dr. Chief Joseph Ukadike to look into the upgrading of the college of education Agbor, to a University of Education.
       Published in The Pointer Newspaper, page 12/13 Monday June 19,2017.

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