Pay more attention to leadership in education sector, Ex-minister urges FG

Former Minister of Education, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, has urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to leadership in education as this will go a long way to revamp the sector into a core vibrant sector.

Obaji said this while fielding questions from journalists at the send-off/pen down ceremony of former principal/director of the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC) Yaba, Rev. Chris Ugorji, where she tasked the government to look for a credible successor that will carry on the good legacy the principal is leaving behind.

According to Obaji, it is high time government got serious with technical education in its quest for technological development and stop paying lip service saying there have not been new laboratories, technology labs built in any technical college across the country stressing that it is not just playing to the gallery but taking the Bull by the horn.

“This College will be 70 years by 2018, by now the school should have been producing simple technologies such as cell phones but they are not well equipped. There is need for synergy between organised private sector and the public sector to take care of research works coming out of our institutions”, she said.

She lamented that many of the Unity Schools are no longer operating in accordance with the vision of their establishment due to lack of accommodation and staff quarters to accommodate students and teachers from all over the country such that a Northerner for instance can come and teach or learn in any of the Unity Schools in the West or East.

The former minister urged the Ffederal Government to amend the UBE Act of 1994 to take care of the Unity Schools in order to take them to what they should be.

On his own part, former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, said policy makers have failed the country in its quest for technological advancement.

He said this is because much emphasis have been placed on paper qualification with little attention given to skill acquisition through TVET.

“Government should be careful in terms of investing in education as more attention is needed in monitoring how any budget for education is being spent”, he said.

Outgoing Principal, Rev. Chris Ugorji said he came to the College on purpose adding that without purpose abuse is inevitable saying he knew what he was sent to the College to do and he went straight for that purpose.

He said he was able to achieve his feats through discipline and commitment as the College witnessed a lot of transformation during his tenure in terms of students’ academic performance, infrastructural development among others.

He said some of the challenges confronting the school is the issue of electricity supply which made him spend millions of Naira on diesel because without power, technology cannot be driven.

“I made sure I got the commitment of my teachers through discipline. First of all I had a purpose and I ensured I must rise above those I am leading because they are looking up to me, without purpose and commitment I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my goal, I moved my teachers to ensure they are committed to their assignments”, he said.

He urged the students to believe in themselves, know why their parents sent them to the school by being more studious while admonishing the teachers that with tenacity, commitment and focus they will always move the College higher.