THE Enugu State Government has concluded plans to establish a university of education, as part of efforts to boost teacher education in the state.
The State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Monday, while announcing that the government would upgrade the status of its College of Education at Ihe in Awgu Council to a full-fledged university, said that he was determined to serve the training needs of teachers, .
At the Government House, the Governor told a delighted delegation of stakeholders from Awgu Council that the decision to relocate the College from its temporary site in Enugu to a permanent site in the council was in fulfillment of promises he made to the community.
Meanwhile, the host community has donated 110 hectares of adjoining land to accommodate the new institution, as the proposed permanent site is designed to sit on the old 17-hectare Teacher Training College, Ihe town.
Accompanied by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, the governor said that N250 million would be released to commence the process of the relocation.
A member of the House of Representatives Toby Okechukwu (Aninri-Awgu-Oji-River) and former Ambassador and minister, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, the chairman of the College Board and the Relocation Committee, led the Awgu community.
The Commissioner for Information, Ogbuagu Anikwe had in a press statement stated that Ugwuanyi, on assumption of office identified Awgu as one of the most neglected councils of the state, and promised to reverse the neglect, and erase the economic stagnation of the area.
Anikwe stated: “In quick succession, the Governor resuscitated the abandoned School of Nursing and Midwifery at Awgu town, and ordered the relocation and upgrading of the College of Education (Technical) from Enugu to Ihe town. Recently, he commissioned the commercialization of the Aki na ukwa Junction, Mgbowo town on the Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, as a commercial hub of the local government, complete with solar powered street lights, and modern shops. This is to promote the area as a stopover destination for travelers and tourists.”
The Governor had said; “I am confident that in a couple of months, the economy of Awgu will pick up when social services and infrastructure that were hitherto lacking are put in place for the benefit of people of Awgu Local Government.”
Ekweremadu, Senator representing Enugu West, which includes Awgu Council, promised to explore the possibility of extending the imminent rehabilitation by the Federal Government of a stretch of the Agbogugu-Ihe-Owelli-Ogugu road to create an access road to the new school.
Toby Okechukwu, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works, presented a cartographic survey of the proposed institution, facilitated through the offices of the Surveyor-General of the Federation and his counterpart in the State.
