Taraba college provost outlines daunting challenges

The Provost, Taraba state College of Education, Zing, Dr. Mike Dio Jen, has outlined some daunting challenges, which according to him are hampering the smooth running of the college situated at Zing, headquarters of Zing local government area of the state.

Dr. Jen, who called on the state government to urgently proffer solution to ameliorate the hardship faced by the management staff of the College stated this while speaking on the occasion of the institution’s 38th edition of the 2016/2017 Matriculation ceremony, held Friday at the institution’s Auditorium.

He described, lack of accommodation as the most disturbing problem the staff of the College face, noting that majority of them come to work daily from Jalingo, the State Capital where they face the risk of exposing their lives to road hazards.

“It is by the divine mercy of God that sustains and protects our exposure to road hazards, I hereby make a passionate appeal to your Excellency to consider the construction of staff quarters within the College premises, which will boost the morale of staff and enhance effective teaching and learning, research and academic interaction among staff and students”, he said.

The Provost further told the participants that the College lacks enough Buses that can convey both staff and students from the College to various places of assignments aimed at reducing the high cost of transportation fare being paid on daily basis.

“Your Excellency, it is worthy to note that the College has not done Convocation of our Graduates for a very long time, I therefore, crave your indulgence to consider and grant the College the opportunity to have the Convocation of our children (your graduated students) who are yearning and praying for its realization in this noble rescue mission of your administration”, he added.

Mike Dio Jen also disclosed that the relocation of the College from Jalingo to Zing, resulted to the institution’s loss of accreditation for all its programmes, explaining that it is mandatory for the College to set up machineries for the accreditation exercise to be carried out by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) in the institution. He reiterated that a Memorandum to that effect has been written to the State Government.

The Provost finally noted what he described as grossly understaffed nature of the Departments in the College, revealing that, the last employment was in 2001and since then, they have lost many staff as a result of death, transfer of service and retirement which he explained made teaching and learning very difficult in the College.

One of the ways by which the problems of understaffing will be solved, aimed at helping the system from collapsing, as revealed by the Provost was for the State government to approve the employment of staff.

Dr. Dio, however, pledged the management’s unconditional loyalty to the administration of the state government in its dogged commitment to the rescue agenda.

In his remarks, Taraba Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku, who was represented by the State Commissioner of Education, Hon. Johannes Jigem, commended the College’s management and staff for maintaining high academic standard and sound moral values in the institution which has earned her to be a degree awarding institution.

Hon. Jigem promised taking all the problems stated by the Provost to the Governor Ishaku for proper action.