By EricJames Ochigbo
A Bill for an Act to provide for etablishment of Federal University of Education, Ehamcefu in Isi-Uzu Local Government Area, Enugu state has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill which seeks to upgrade the Eha-Amufu College of Education to Federal University of Education was sponsored by Rep. Paul Nnamchi (LP-Enugu state) at plenary in Abuja.
Leading the debate, Nnamchi said that education remained the cornerstone of national development.
According to him, the demands for higher qualifications in the country have grown exponentially in recent years.
Nnamchi represents Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency of Enugu state said that amending the Federal College Education Act to upgrade it to university of education will meet the increasing demands .
Nnamchi, a professor in Biomedical Engineering said that the National Certificate of Education (NCE), though still vital, was gradually losing its appeal as students and employers.
“This shift has resulted in dwindling student enrollments at Eha-Amufu Federal College of Education thereby undermining the institution’s relevance and capacity to fulfill its mandate of training competent educators for our schools.
“Several colleges of education established at the same timeframes with Eha-Amufu College, like the Alvan Ikoku College of Education in Owerri , Imo and Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo have since transformed into full-fledged universities of education.
“The transformation has not only revitalised those institutions but had also boosted local economies and enhanced the employability of their graduates.
“Upgrading Eha-Amufu College of Education to a Federal University of Education will have multiple benefits like more students intakes, addressing the manpower shortage in education sector by producing more qualified educators and create more job opportunities for our teeming youths,” he said.
The lawmaker urged the house to prioritise the upgrade as it would not only empower the youths with better job opportunities but also strengthen the nation’s educational sector and contribute to the nation’s overall development.
In his ruling, the Speaker of the house, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas referred the bill to the relevant committees for further legislative actions.