Edo
State Government has granted the College of Agriculture, Agenebode, full
autonomy to operate as a Diploma-awarding Institution, subject to the
ratification of the state House of Assembly.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Abdul Oroh disclosed
this in an interview with newsmen in...
Benin City, yesterday.
Hon Oroh said, “It’s true that the Comrade Governor Adams
Oshiomhole has approved the autonomy that the school should operate
independently at the State Executive Meeting. The School has operated as a
Campus of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi since 1987 but now, it is a
full-fledged College.
“It will now be called Edo State College of Technology,
Agenebode. We have a Consultant that is on ground to help set it up. The
Consultant has gone to the School to see the facilities on ground just as they
were also at Iguoriakhi.”
Oroh
disclosed that the necessary documents have been sent to the House of Assembly
to give the necessary legal backing to the College.
He said: “The School has been on ground for some time. They have
been admitting and graduating students at O.N.D. Level. Once we start investing
in the School, all the programmes will be presented to the National Board for
Technical Education for accreditation and once they are accredited, they can
award H.N.D”.
While expressing joy at the decision of the State Government to
grant the institution full autonomy said, “We are happy that the Governor has
granted the autonomy. We hope that by the end of this month, the Consultants
would present its report and then, we will know the steps to be taken to ensure
that they move from their temporary site to their permanent site.
“There
are some provisions in this year’s budget to start off. I am sure once the
Consultants reports are produced, the Comrade Governor would approve the
release of the approved grants for them to take off at their permanent site,
“I am looking forward to the day the Comrade Governor would go
there to lay the foundation stone of the college”, he said.
While speaking on the level of cooperation from the community
said “The community has given us a piece of land of about 100hectares which is
the minimum size for a university in Agenebode. There is also a land provided
for Marine activities and other things to set up the institute of Aquaculture.
Hon. Abdul Oroh however used the opportunity to assure staff of
the Institution of the security of their jobs saying “We will rely on the
Consultants to advice on how the manpower of the College is going to be
structured. We are not going to threaten the employment or job security of any
staff.
“We
expect that those who are useful to the system will be retained in the area
they have capacity. Other persons would be redeployed to other areas where they
are fitted.”
Hon
Oroh who said the upgrading of the College would open up the community to a
whole lot of economic gains said “We are trying to bring a whole lot of
investors to Edo State in all areas from rice production to Oil Palm.
“It will also be an opportunity for our students to learn new skills. We
require qualify middle class man power to be employed in these sectors.
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