AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY THE PROVOST OF AKWA IBOM STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, AFAHA NSIT, DR DANIEL G UDO ON THE 29″ NCE AND 2″ BATCH DEGREE MATRICULATION CEREMONY, HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 11″ NOVEMBER, 2020 AT THE COLLEGE SPORTS GROUND
We are delighted to welcome you to Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit today on this auspicious occasion of the 29h Matriculation Ceremony of students for the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and the 2nd batch of Degree Programme of this institution.
We return all glory and adoration to God Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, for the gift of life and for His grace that has sustained us through the turbulent and most unpredictable health and social situations, which we have experienced so far in the year 2020.
My sincere thanks goes to His Excellency, Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, who has given me the opportunity to serve as the 7th Provost of this great institution. His fatherly role and visionary leadership have controlled the deadly pandemic and the social violence which could have otherwise continued to delay or even terminate today’s gathering. We earlier planned as humans to host this event in March or April this year, not foreseeing the dreaded COVID-19, which brought the world to an unprecedented lock down. Today, by the mercy of God and the instrumentality of His Excellency, Akwa Ibom State College of Education can pick up and continue the rest of its academic plans.
We are therefore exceedingly happy to welcome our Visitor, His Excellency Mr Udom Emmanuel, and the Honorable Commissioner for Education, Mrs Enobong
Mbobo here represented by the Director, Secondary and Higher Education, Dr (Mrs) Glory Ekpo, the Permanent Secretary, Helen A. Ante (Mrs), the head of our affiliate institution and Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo, and indeed all other dignitaries to this occasion. We particularly welcome the Chairman of the 10th Governing Council of the College, Barr Bassey Dan Abia (Jnr) and members of the Governing Council here present, Management team, Deans, Directors and Heads of Departments/Units, our distinguished guests, parents and guardians of our beloved students, particularly those matriculating today, the Labour Unions, members and leaders of our host community, gentlemen of the press. We are here for the reason that you are there!
Please permit me to use this forum to convey our very special gratitude to the Visitor to this College, His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the Executive Governor of our dear State for his vision and forthright mission, the positive impact which has brought remarkable developmental strides witnessed across the State and this College in particular.
The then Akwa Ibom State Edict No. 2 of 1991 gave birth to this College, arising from the need to train professional instructors to feed our primary levels of education. Just as the story of the palm wine cannot be told complete without a mention of the calabash, permit me to acknowledge and appreciate the vision of the then Military Governor of the State, Otuekong Air Commodore Rtd, Idongesit Okon Nkanga, whose growth-driven policy established this citadel of learning. That seed of social infrastructure is, today, fruiting in the passionate husbandry by our Visitor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel.
Your Excellency Sir, we acknowledge the economic ambience that you created during the last Accreditation and Resource visit by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and the National Universities Commission (NUC); your support, which won the College full accreditation in a total of 23 academic programmes along with full institutional accreditation, remain indelible in the history of this institution. For the programmes with partial accreditation status, we trust that the flow from your ever-supportive fountain and care will successfully see us through.
Today, we are matriculating a total of 1,482 students spread into the different schools as follows:
School of Languages – 165
School of Vocational & Technical Education – 217
School of Science – 270
School of Arts & Social Science – 240
School of Primary Education – 140
Degree Programme – 450
Total – 1,482
Dear Matriculating students, I want to congratulate you for having made the right choice of College of Education, Afaha Nsit as the ladder in your educational pursuit. We also extend our commendation to our dear parents and guardians who have supported their wards to be part of this academic ceremony.
We can assure you all that your coming to this college can never be a misplaced priority, given that the Governing Council, Management and indeed the total workforce in the College are up to their tasks and are determined to make your academic venture fruitful and worthwhile.
Considering that this is a teacher-grooming institution, we expect zero tolerance to all forms of indiscipline and dishonesty from you all. Students are expected to abide by the rules and regulations prevalent in this academic community and as entrenched in your matriculation oath. The College operates a well-organized administrative system and issues are expected to be channelled through due process before reaching the echelon.
Let me at this point appreciate the host community, for their peaceful and cordial relationship, which they have maintained over time. We will continue to dialogue in warm atmosphere of understanding as we seek solutions to your primary issues of concern as our host. We therefore implore you as landlords to work in close synergy with the authorities of the college and government to permanently stamp out cultism and other social vices threatening our developmental efforts as a community. In the letters of our creed as a people in this great state, I urge you to stand strong to that responsibility, secured in the knowledge that the great tomorrow in our dreams depends on our responsiveness to the wellbeing of our children today. Ami, mme dakkanda!
Once again, I congratulate the matriculating students and wish them success in their academic sojourn here in Akwa Ibom State College of Education.
Thank you and welcome!