… As Education Commissioner Extends Assessment Tour To GTC (Techmo) Mopa

By Stephen Adeleye

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones, FCIB, on Tuesday extended his final tour of assessment of the four Government Technical Colleges (GTCs) in the State to Government Technical College, Mopa in Mopamuro LGA.

Speaking to journalists after inspecting the college facilities, the Commissioner assured that the four Government Technical Colleges (GTCs) in Kogi, would soon undergo massive renovations, rehabilitations and refurbishments.

He said that government would revamp the colleges,in order to produce adequate students as intake into the new Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, and other higher institutions in the state.

He noted that the government could not afford to allow learners from the neighbouring States to be more beneficial of the institutions than the indigenes who labored for them.

He stressed the need to support indigenous learners from Kogi to be the primary beneficiaries of whatever would be done in the state’s institutions.

According to him, the first point of call among the four GTCs, was Oboroke in Okehi LGA, then to Ankpa, Idah, and today we rounded up at Government Technical College, Mopa in Mopamuro LGA.

”,We have seen the various levels of dilapidations of strictures in those four schools.

”Luckily, there is an allocation in the state 2021 education budget, for renovation, rehabilitation and refurbishment of the four government technical colleges in the state.

”After this visit, there will be another round of tour to be led by the Director Science and Technology of the ministry, in order to have some detail discussion with the management of the colleges.

”We will come up with estimates, and our memo will begin to fly, and approvals will follow. Whatever thing we have to do would be done immediately, because we have no time to waste.

”We do not expect that the next rainy season will come and meet those schools in that form; it is going be disastrous.

” So, we are going to work assiduously to ensure we get all the approvals for us to commence renovation and rehabilitation of our technical colleges”, he said.

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Jones re-emphasised that His Excellency, Gov. Yahaya Bello was committed to revamping all the four state’s technical colleges, and create 17 additional ones in the remaining 17 local government areas of Kogi.

Earlier, the Vice Chairman of Mopamuro LGA, Hon. Mercy Obajemu, led a team from the council to receive the commissioner and his entourage, on behalf of the Chairman, Hon Sunday Alumo.

The vice chairman commended the commissioner for his visit to personally assess the facilities in the school

She further expressed her appreciation to His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello, for his commitment to revamping education sector especially technical education in the state.

The vice chairman, however solicited for the intervention of the state government for the rehabilitation of other secondary schools in the council, whose structures had been dilapidated.

The Principal of GTC, Mopa, Mr Olusegun Ode, commended the commissioner and his team for the visit, saying he was so happy for the action.

He thanked the governor for his intervention to resuscitating the college, while appealing for provision of adequate qualified teachers.

The Government Technical College, Mopa established in 1975.

The commissioner further inspected UBEC/JSS and LGEA School Kakun, in Kabba/Bunu LGA, where he assured the community that Government would do everything it could to improve the school.

Jones said he had personally adopted the school as his own, and promised to do his best in collaboration with the community leaders to uplift the school.

The Commissioner was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Pastor Emmanuel Idenyi, Director Science and Technology, Mr Dipo Aiyenibe, and other staff of the ministry.

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  Education, Governor Yahaya Bello, Hon Wemi Jones, Kogi News, Kogi State, Kogi State Government, Technical College