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The governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma on Saturday received the Diamond Award from the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE), Owerri.
Chijioke Okwele, executive secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), said the governor was given the award in honour of his selfless contribution to the institution during the 60th anniversary celebration of the school.
In his remarks at the event, Okwele praised the governor’s contributions to winning the federal government’s approval to transform the citadel of learning into a federal university of education.
He, further, urged the governor to intensify efforts to actualise the dream of making the school a full-fledged varsity.
Also, the Provost of the institution, Dr. Stella Lemchi, in her address commended the governor for reclaiming their land illegally acquired by former government officials in the state.
Read Also: I Will Expose Those Behind Imo Killings Soon – Uzodinma
She also thanked Governor Uzodimma for choosing one of the staff of the school, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, as his deputy governorship candidate for the November 11 governorship election in the state, assuring him that he would not regret his decision.
Governor Uzodimma while acknowledging the award promised the institution to do whatever it takes to actualise the project of having AIFCE becoming a federal university.
In his appreciation for the gesture, the governor promised automatic scholarship to the students of the school who excel in their chosen fields.
He urged those in higher authority to prioritise education, saying: “Education means so much to Ndigbo. It’s the surest way to liberation from poverty. Education is a multiple tool. It has spurred me to establish the K. O. Mbadiwe University, Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Science and others.”
Earlier in her lecture, former Provost of the institution, Professor Blessing Ijioma, who decried the dwindling enrolment and population of colleges of education, urged the federal government to look into the salary scale of the lecturers.
She equally enjoined the traditional rulers to give equal recognition to teachers by giving them chieftaincy titles.
