Udom calls for state of emergency in education

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has lamented the rot in the school system, saying a state of emergency should be declared in the sector in an effort to reverse the decline.

Udom’s remarks came days after the release of the ranking by performance in the last West African Examination Council (WAEC) result in which Akwa Ibom State took 17 position.

Akwa Ibom has implemented free and compulsory education from primary to secondary schools throughout the state.

Speaking during the matriculation of a private university in Ikot Ekpene, the governor noted with pride the creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the founder of the institution, Emmanuel Ibok Essien, saying the vision of the founder represented the true Akwa Ibom sprit of hard work, dedication and excellence that formed the bedrock of the citadel of learning.

Noting that education remains the greatest investment any man can undertake urged other great indigenes of the state to emulate the example set by the founder of the University and advised the students to imbibe the matriculation oath by allowing it regulate their stay in the university stressing that such regulation would make their parents proud and reap from their investments in them.

He thanked the management of the institution for evolving zero tolerance on cultism and other anti social behaviour adding that efforts are being made by his administration to stimulate learning and make Akwa Ibom students to face the challenging world and charged the school to align itself with the twenty-first century technology so as to produce graduates that would fit into the dynamic world of today.

He announced plans to partner the institution in the development of it infrastructure adding that such initiative would take the university to greater height of development and promised to identify with private sector initiative to improve the standard of education in the State.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Celestine  Ntuen, said that a total of thirty two students  matriculated into various academic programmes of the Institution and expressed appreciation to the Governor, his wife, Martha and other dignitaries for being part of the event.

The chairman, Board of Trustees of the University Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, said the institution started classes on April 18, 2016 after being given provisional license to operate as a private university by the Nigeria University Commission ( NUC) on March 5, 2015.

He noted that the founders of the university had a dream to establish the real African Entrepreneurial University and charged the students to ensure that they are guided by dignity, integrity, elegance and courage warning them against involvement in cultism, truancy and other vices that inhibit proper learning and congratulated the parents for their choice of Ritman University for their children.