By Rose Oranye
Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR, on Tuesday, July 23, embarked on an assessment tour of Anambra State Polytechnic, Mgbakwu, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Arriving the institution after
intermittent stops along Okpuno-Isuaniocha- Mgbakwu Road to interact and
acknowledge cheers from excited locals hailing him for bringing democracy
dividends their way, the Governor's first words to the students, staff and
stakeholders of the institution were: "We have a collective duty. It is a
long way from where we stand, but we must first decide our destination".
Responding to the Acting
Rector's request for accreditation, the Governor said: "It is not enough
to seek accreditation. But, accreditation to do what? Without qualified
teachers schools are nothing more than places for certificate racketeering. People
come to me to say they want to set up higher institutions, and I ask them,
where would you get the lecturers from? Do you have the resources to attract
and retain the best?"
From the Governor's response to
the accreditation request, one can easily see a man with foresight; already
looking beyond what others could see - elevating the status of the institution
to be among the best in the world.
While many leaders in his shoes
would have simply acquiesced to the accreditation request (even if they didn't
mean it) and receive an ecstatic ovation, the Solution Governor chose to tow a
different line. For him, it was not just about accreditation but the quality of
the output which can only be guaranteed by sound lecturers.
The worth of an institution's
name is as good as the number of adequate quality lecturers and the learning
facilities at its disposal. And that even becomes the veritable bases for
demanding accreditation.
The good news however is that
the Governor has assured that, "To
kickstart this transformative journey, I have set up evaluative mechanisms to
assess the requirements for quick wins and facilitate lasting progress that
will set the institution on the path of competitiveness. It is crucial we carve
out a unique identity for this institution, building a strong reputation that
distinguishes us from others".
From the Governor's statement,
one can see that he is set to bring the same magic wand with which he
transformed public schools in the state from neglect and decay to schools now
filled with hope, free access education, improved infrastructure and more
manpower.
Recall that before Prof. Soludo
became the Governor of Anambra State, the education sector lacked a clear
policy direction. To address the issue, he set up the Anambra Educational Advisory
Council, tasked with developing a new pathway to delivering quality education
and improve the learning outcomes of students in Anambra schools.
He wasted no time in employing
5,000 teachers in his first nine months in office and additional 3,000 later to
put an end to having schools without teachers and ensure quality learning in
Anambra schools.
It's obvious he's looking to
follow a similar route in fixing Mgbakwu Polytechnic in order to put it, like
he said, "...on the path of competitiveness"
Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo is
not an everyday politician but a leader with a fundamental difference.
Oranye is of the Ministry of
Information, Anambra State.
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