Re-introduce college’s running cost, Provost urges Taraba Govt
The Provost, College of Education (COE), Zing in Taraba State, Dr. Mike Dio Jen has called on the State Government to re-introduce the running cost it usually give the College to enhance its day to day academic activities.
Dr. Mike Dio, made the call while fielding questions from journalists in his office, shortly after the College’s 2017/2018 39th Matriculation Ceremony held yesterday at the school premises, Zing, headquarters of Zing Local Government Area of the State.
While enumerating some of the institution’s daunting challenges, Dr. Mike said “there is acute water shortage in the College”. “The Students in the Hostel don’t have adequate source of water to meet up with their daily needs”.
He noted that there was lack of fund to service and offset some of the expenses accrued by the College, for instance, electricity bill.
Reliving his experience on electricity supply as it affects the College, Dr. Dio revealed that the monthly electricity bill PHCN give the institution is above One Million Naira.
“Sometimes, we pay them N300,000.00 carryover and the bill is accumulating”.
“So, we appeal to government if they can reintroduce the Running Cost they usually give the College”, he said.
The Provost further narrated that the management of the College cannot rely on the fees paid by the Students to run the affairs of the institution stressing that as a Teacher Training College, the Students are not charged unnecessary fees.
His words, “Our institution is a Teacher Training College, we don’t charge unnecessary fees, people are not even willing to come to the College. If you charge them high, everybody will run away, they don’t want to become Teachers, that is why we are handling them like eggs”, said Dr. Dio.
The ordeal of non-availability of staff accommodation in the College, Dr. Dio described it as pathetic, noting that the staff risk their lives traveling long distance from Jalingo the State capital to Zing daily.
The 39th matriculation ceremony of the college therefore, the Provost stated that about 1,800 Students were matriculated, making the number of students to about 4,000.
The College Boss however, commended the efforts of Governor Darius Ishaku saying he has listening ears to the problems of the College.
“We have achieved much and made tremendous progress on areas of infrastructural facilities, accreditation of Courses and staff strength”
“We have been assessed as one of the best Institutions not only in Taraba but across the Country”,
“The accreditation of Courses, we are running two programs in the College; one is Undergraduate while the other one is NCE.
He added that for the Undergraduate, they have presented six programs for accreditation and thirty for the NCE.
Dr. Mike Dio Jen also stressed that the State College of Education, Zing has qualified Teachers who according to him are working round the clock to see that knowledge is impacted on the Students.
