By Rose Oranye
Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR, on Tuesday, July 23, embarked on an assessment tour of Anambra State Polytechnic, Mgbakwu, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Arriving the institution after intermittent stops along Okpuno-Isuaniocha- Mgbakwu Road to interact and acknowledge cheers from excited locals hailing him for bringing democracy dividends their way, the Governor’s first words to the students, staff and stakeholders of the institution were: “We have a collective duty. It is a long way from where we stand, but we must first decide our destination”.
Responding to the Acting Rector’s request for accreditation, the Governor said: “It is not enough to seek accreditation. But, accreditation to do what? Without qualified teachers schools are nothing more than places for certificate racketeering. People come to me to say they want to set up higher institutions, and I ask them, where would you get the lecturers from? Do you have the resources to attract and retain the best?”
From the Governor’s response to the accreditation request, one can easily see a man with foresight; already looking beyond what others could see – elevating the status of the institution to be among the best in the world.
While many leaders in his shoes would have simply acquiesced to the accreditation request (even if they didn’t mean it) and receive an ecstatic ovation, the Solution Governor chose to tow a different line. For him, it was not just about accreditation but the quality of the output which can only be guaranteed by sound lecturers.
The worth of an institution’s name is as good as the number of adequate quality lecturers and the learning facilities at its disposal. And that even becomes the veritable bases for demanding accreditation.
The good news however is that the Governor has assured that, “To kickstart this transformative journey, I have set up evaluative mechanisms to assess the requirements for quick wins and facilitate lasting progress that will set the institution on the path of competitiveness. It is crucial we carve out a unique identity for this institution, building a strong reputation that distinguishes us from others”.
From the Governor’s statement, one can see that he is set to bring the same magic wand with which he transformed public schools in the state from neglect and decay to schools now filled with hope, free access education, improved infrastructure and more manpower.
Recall that before Prof. Soludo became the Governor of Anambra State, the education sector lacked a clear policy direction. To address the issue, he set up the Anambra Educational Advisory Council, tasked with developing a new pathway to delivering quality education and improve the learning outcomes of students in Anambra schools.
He wasted no time in employing 5,000 teachers in his first nine months in office and additional 3,000 later to put an end to having schools without teachers and ensure quality learning in Anambra schools.
It’s obvious he’s looking to follow a similar route in fixing Mgbakwu Polytechnic in order to put it, like he said, “…on the path of competitiveness”
Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo is not an everyday politician but a leader with a fundamental difference.
*Oranye is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
