By Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo
With improved infrastructure, curriculum and general conducive environment for teaching and learning, the management of the Abia State College of Education Technical Arochukwu (ASCETA) has projected an increased student population to 3,000.
The Provost, Dr. Phillip Nto, who disclosed this recently, while addressing journalists after conducting them round the institution, said the noticeable infrastructural development happened over the last five years when he assumed duties as provost.
He expressed confidence that the college would in no distant time hit its target of growing its student population, citing the improvement in facilities and its strategic location.
The Abia State-owned institution is easily accessible to Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Ebonyi States and with the good road networks around, connecting ASCETA has become a simplified journey, he said.
The provost noted that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) played a crucial role in the rebranding of ASCETA, following the removal of the college from the list of institutions blacklisted from accessing funds.
“The past administration of the college had incurred the wrath of TETFund after misappropriating funds accessed for the construction of the School of Vocational Education, but I was able to complete the building project and earned implicit confidence of TETFund.”
He said the modern edifices that have replaced the structures erected in 1931 by the renowned educationist and founder of the college, late Dr. Alvan Ikoku, have completely changed the face of the hitherto rustic institution.
Some of the buildings include School of Business Education, School of Science Education, with well equipped gym, Dr. Alvan Ikoku Ultra-modern Library, School of Arts and Social Science with electronic magic board, and a 350-capacity lecture auditorium.
“The projects are the results of efforts and hard work and implicit confidence that TETFund has in me,” the provost said, noting that the college has now been revived from the state of comatose that the present administration inherited when it came on board.
Nto acknowledged that ASCETA has been engulfed with “backlog of problems,” some of which have not been solved, but stated that a lot of ground has been covered in efforts to reposition the institution.
He said the issue of non-issuance of certificates to students after graduation is now a thing of the past, while the college has now been connected to the national grid, thereby resolving the problem of inadequate power supply.
The provost stated that ASCETA has commenced certificate programmes in vocational studies to impart skills to artisans, adding that its graduates are also required to learn one or more skills in addition to their NCE programmes before graduation.
On staff improvement, he disclosed that the college has received N700 million from TETFund, which many lecturers have benefitted from, to further their education up to PhD level.
