ASCETA ………………. NTO THE REFORMIST

The environment for scholars of higher institutions in Abia State and Nigeria at large is seriously dislocated. I am not an apostle of the governments messy policy on higher education. I am also not a supporter of higher education staff who have taken to militant labour strategies to achieve their objectives, all these illustrate the disorganized nature of Tertiary Institutions and the atmosphere in which Teaching and Learning and research are expected to thrive in a messy higher education environment.

There are no way students can engage in or focus on academic and research activities.

In the existing meddled situation. The underlying message is that there is no strong attention from any Agency of the government that has clear and holistic responsibility to promote quality education as obtained in other clines.

In the education sector of Abia State. For over four years of focused administration, since Philips Nto (PHD) an Agric – Economist was sworn in as the provost of Abia State College of Education Technical, Arochukwu.

He left no one in doubt as to the direction and policy thrust of this leadership of the prestigious college located in the hometown of the foremost educationist, Dr Alvan Ikoku of the blessed memory. When he promised to run a people-oriented administration, he outlined his goals to include the improvement of the institutions dilapidated infrastructures, provision of quality and affordable facilities, good and efficient service delivery as well as war against corruption in the college community of Abia State College of Education Technical Arochukwu. He has also bemoaned the lackluster tendencies that had hitherto retarded the steady academic progress amongst others.

Within this space of time through dedication and proper articulation of the challenges and needs to the college, Dr. Nto’s leadership and administrative prowess has been able to etch its name on the memory of Abians and Nigerians at large both home and abroad. The young scholars also have benefitted from the tremendous reformation of the institution.

For Nto, politics is secondary, while good administration of the college under his custody associated with the general wellbeing of the people and peaceful co=existence in the college community is primary.

The overall effect of Dr, Philip Nto’s impressive performance in so short a time is such that average Nigerian sees as the reformist who have come to redeem the educational sector especially the nation’s Tertiary Institutions that has almost gone down and to restore the full glory and fulfil the aspirations of the founding fathers of the college.

Since assumption of office by the academic there has been no lackadaisical moment, Rather the period has been characterized by action at the same time confounding critics and enjoying the popular acclaim by the majority of Abians and other Nigerians. The reformatory speed with which the provost took off has not abated, while the citadel of higher learning has soared. Today the college is witnessing the new lease, an era that has promised improved and quality standard education to scholars, energized and dissipated workforce, revalidated economy and disciplined administration of the school for the first time, right from the inauguration of the college years back.

The academic community in the state and beyond are experiencing the impact of a responsive and mass-oriented management of the institution. Undoubtably, no provost of the college before this had put so much energy, zeal and personal sacrifice to give Abians and the educational sector these reformation in the college with focused and transparent administration.

Honestly, Nto the Academic has astounded his detractors who greeted his appointment as the provost of “ASCETA” with pessimism, those who never prayed for his success is stating the obvious.

It is on record that less that fewer years after his inauguration, in a rare display of purposefulness he set the machinery of reformation of the college in motion with the appointment of who is suited for the students to benefit from his or her wealth of academic expertise than he who knows the provost, and the results are there.

Presently, the achievements in the college are beyond description.

With focus and determination Nto’s aim is to gain more difficult goals. Observers and Critics may have noticed the massive renovation of all spheres of the institution.

It could be recalled that several buildings including science and technical laboratories are being renovated to meet the international education standards.

The Agric – Economist from the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka is reforming the entire college, both Academic and non-Academic Staff of Abia State College of Education Technical, Arochukwu can throb their chest and declare that they now have a provost who is a humanist as well with Midas torch.

All these qualities are in compliance to the directives from TETFUND to the colleges of education nationwide. If other provost from other colleges of education can take cue behind Nto and his Academic board of the college, the standard of education in tertiary institutions will know no bounds.

The overbearing majority of students from the college have openly confessed their surprises at the transformation that has taken place in the citadel of learning. there is this saying that theory one may be as wide as theory two, but the proof of the theory is in what it tells us about the existing facts and in the new facts it produces.

Abia State College of Education, Technical Arochukwu have had provosts, right now, we have one with tremendous reformation.

By Kalu Okpo
(PMW MAGAZINE)