JONATHAN REAFFIRMS PLEDGE TO EDUCATION AS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI AWARDS 4,110 DEGREES.
The Nigerian Government on Monday in Owerri, Imo State reaffirmed its determination to place a high premium on Education sector, saying that education remained the fulcrum by which the country would actualize its vision of emerging one of the 20 largest economies by the year 2020.
Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, made this known at the 22nd Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
Dr. Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, said that the Federal Government has embarked on aggressive infrastructural development, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to reposition Federal tertiary institutions across the country. According to the Acting President, Government would continue to provide the needed funding and support to all its institutions pointing out that recently, over six billion naira each was released to six Federal Universities designated as centres of excellence which were picked from the six geo-political zones, noting that his is beside the regular funding of the institutions through the Education Trust Fund (ETF) and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), in order to ensure high academic standard among the institutions.
He noted that from all indications FUTO was already toeing the vision of Government towards the development of education considering the significant progress it has made in the area of infrastructural development and accreditation of courses offered by the institution in the last few years. “I am duly informed that some of these projects are funded from internally generated revenue. This no doubt is a product of dynamic and focused leadership predicated on an atmosphere of peace and harmony on Campus, and this is commendable”, he said.
The Acting President however expressed worry that frequent strike actions by staff Unions of tertiary institutions have remained a matter of concern to both the Government and the citizenry; saying such situation cannot lend credence to our common resolve to actualize the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He explained that Government had made concerted efforts to broker peace with the various Unions of tertiary Institutions to ensure uninterrupted academic activities.
He, therefore, charged all workers in the ivory towers to reciprocate Government’s gesture by exhibiting high commitment to duty and shunning any further temptation for strikes, stressing that remaining issues could be settled through dialogue.
While congratulating the graduands, Dr. Jonathan advised them to avail themselves of every opportunity to exhibit those skills and knowledge acquired for the growth and betterment of the society. Similarly, he commended the distinguished Nigerians who were awarded Honorary Doctorate Degrees by the University.
On the Federal Government Post-amnesty measures for the Niger Delta Region, Dr. Jonathan said a number of strategies have been outlined to compliment the post-amnesty rehabilitation programmes. Amongst these, he pointed out, were the provision of employment opportunities to qualified youths, as well as training them in vocational enterprises and skill acquisition.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Chancellor of the University, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Shekarau Angyu expressed his appreciation to the Honourable Minister, Sam Egwu, for the diligence and maturity exhibited in the peaceful resolution of the strike actions embarked upon by various Unions of tertiary institutions in 2009.
He urged government to keep the tempo of peace restored in the system and continue to ensure the infrastructural development and other developmental programmes in the institutions that would strengthen the University System for the challenges of nation building and global competitiveness.
Speaking in the same vein, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Celestine Onwuliri poured encomium on Egwu for the various measures taken, since assumption of office, to re-positioning the education sector towards the actualization of the Seven Point Agenda, the Millennium Development Goals and Vision 20:2020.
The Vice-Chancellor said that the University has steadily made progress in sustaining its vision and mission. He noted that a number of infrastructural development have been carried out in the institution in recent times. These include the construction of the Senate Building Phases II and III; the PTDF funded Computer Building, the PTDF funded petrochemical Building; the Directorate of General Studies Building among others.
A total of 4,110 were awarded different degrees. Of these, 157 were post-graduates, and 3,953 were undergraduates. Also, some distinguished Nigerians were awarded Honorary Doctorate Degrees. These include the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Sullivan Chime; National Chairman of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor; former Minister of Education, Dr. Chinwe Nora Obaji; Major-General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd) and Sir Victor Onuorah Ijeh.
As part of the activities marking the Convocation, Dr. Egwu commissioned the Directorate of General Studies.
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