–Fed College of Education’s Provost Tasks Fresh Students
By Michael Nnebife
The Provost, Federal College of Education, Technical, Umunze, in Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Prof Theresa Okoli, has advised the fresh students of the College to pursue with vigour and diligence, their studies for their interest.
The Provost, who gave the advice while delivering her address during the 36th/14th Joint Matriculation Ceremony of the College, also warned the students to avoid examination misconducts and cult-related activities, stressing that the College had zero-tolerance to cultism, examination misconducts, and all behaviours capable of jeopardizing the future of the students.
Prof Okoli urged the students to live out the promise they made while taking their matriculation vow by conducting themselves with decorum.
Saying that social media had reduced the world to a global village, Okoli charged the students to use their phone profitably by accessing only useful information that would give them an edge in their academic work.
She explained that the College laid a strong emphasis on excellence in character and diligence in learning, and guided by its motto, ”To Educate for Self-reliance”, which, she said, formed its strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, information and communication technology, technical and vocational skills.
According to her, the College made ICT training compulsory for all students, and its virtual library provided free internet services for staff and students to carry out their research with ease.
Noting that the goal of the present Management was to make the College a centre of excellence where students came out in flying colours, Okoli announced that 34 students of the College won this year’s Federal Government scholarships worth 300,000 Naira each, for a session.
‘Also, Miss Blessing Nnabuife, a 300 Level NCE student, won a presidential award in recognition of her outstanding academic performance.
‘The Management will continue to provide the required facilities and resources for excellence to thrive,’ she said.
The Provost further said that the College keyed into the Federal Government’s Students Loan Scheme to widen access to tertiary education, urging parents to encourage their children and wards to enroll in the College.
‘As an institution, we will continue to collaborate with the Federal Government for full implementation of the loan scheme,’ she promised.
Prof Okoli recalled the College’s Endowment Programme, whose committee, she disclosed, had been mandated to reach out to philanthropists that would award scholarships to brilliant less-privileged students of the College.
She thanked the Chairman, Orumba South LGA, Hon Shedrack Azubuike, whom, she said, had awarded scholarships to 55 NCE students through the Nwabugo Empowerment Foundation, appealing to other stakeholders to key into the initiative to enroll more youths in the College.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, said that without teachers, there could be no meaningful economic and political development in any country, noting that it was teachers that were responsible for translating policies into action and principles into practice, through interactions with students.
The Commissioner, who was represented by Ebele Oyibo Alor, said that the Governor Charles Soludo Government was making a desperate effort to acquire and equip the classrooms of Anambra Schools with modern communication technologies for international best practices in teaching and learning across the schools.
She congratulated the matriculating students on their successful admissions, urging them to be law-abiding for them to succeed in their academic pursuit.
In his address, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu, who reiterated his vision for the University, reminded the students of their obligations to the College and the University.
While congratulating them, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, represented by the Dean, Faculty of Education of the University, Prof Ebele Okigbo, advised the students to always remember why they were in the College, praying God to give them grace so that their stay in the College would end with finding them worthy in character and learning to be conferred with good NCE and first degree of the institutions.
In an interview with newsmen, some of the students, who included Master Onyekachi Ezeakunnia, from the Department of Primary Education; and Miss Onyinyechi Nwankwo from the Department of Industrial Technical Education, expressed excitement, thanking God for giving them the grace to see their dreams of being tertiary institution undergraduates fulfilled, and promised that they would put up every effort to ensure that they never disappointed their parents or sponsors.
Taking of matriculation vow, entertainment by calisthenics group of Physical and Health Education of the College, among others, were some of the highlights of the occasion which took place on Friday, 4th April.
