Why Monguno needs federal college of education – Reps

Members of the House of Representatives have commenced the legislative process of establishing a federal college of education in Monguno, one of the local governments of Borno State.

The lawmakers consequently passed a bill to that effect for second reading last week, giving reasons why such an institution should be established in an area with no such higher institution of learning.

Sponsored by Rep Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno), the bill provides that the college of education, when established, will provide full-time courses, teaching instructions and training in technology, applied sciences, arts, social sciences, humanities and management, among others.

He argued that the college would provide the middlelevel manpower needed in the education sector of Borno State and Nigeria as a whole.

He said although the state has a federal university, not all the people could afford university education. He therefore said establishing a college of education would remedy the difficult situation that the teeming youth desirous of acquiring higher education have found themselves in.

“The provision of a college of education in Monguno, and by implication Borno State will reduce the incidence of Borno State indigenes having to travel to our neighbouring states for the purpose of acquiring NCE, diploma, etc in education,” he said.

He said establishing the college is also in the spirit of fairness and to produce informed educationists, adding that government should be able to open up access for the citizens to be educated in line with the state educational objectives as contained in the constitution.

Rep Aminu Suleiman (APC, Kano), who chairs the House Committee on Tertiary Education, said the bill should be supported for justice and fairness, adding that considering the peculiar challenges of the state, the institution would remedy some of the education issues it now faces.

Similarly, Rep Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP, Abia), chairperson of the foreign affairs committee, said establishing the college became imperative in order to solve the challenges of insurgency in the state, noting that it was disturbing that despite its history, Borno State has no federal college of education.

“It will help tackle the people’s faulty ideology propounded to the by Boko Haram, which is against Western education,” she said, adding that the institution would offer homegrown solution to the problem.

She said only qualitative education could change the mindset of insurgents.

The bill was referred to the committee on tertiary education.