A former Commissioner for Finance in Abia State and former Rector of Abia State School of Training (Technical) Arochukwu, Philip Nto has faulted the strikes by the Home of Representatives to amend the Act establishing the Michael Okpara College of Agriculture, Umudike, by changing it into a standard college.
Deputy Speaker of the Home of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who’s from Abia State and 6 different individuals, sponsored the Invoice.
However Nto, who spoke in Umuahia, mentioned that the motion wouldn’t solely be counterproductive however deepen the marginalisation of Abia State within the siting of Federal establishments, in addition to have an effect on appointments.
The previous Rector made it clear that what Abia State wants now’s a second Federal College as being loved by surrounding States, warning that the construction of MOUAU as it’s at present constituted shouldn’t be tinkered with.
Nto, who’s the Director of of Michael Okpara College of Agriculture Agribusiness Incubation Centre, insisted that the invoice was ill-conceived as it might not add worth to each the College and the State usually.
He mentioned changing MOUAU to a standard college wouldn’t entice further funding from the Federal authorities, and neither would it not speed up improvement within the State the way in which a model new College would, arguing that the establishment was in want of enough funding and monetary grant to the graduates, not conversion.
In keeping with him, those that sponsored the Invoice didn’t make sufficient session concerning the true wants of the establishment earlier than developing with the thought to transform the College to a standard Federal College, including that eradicating the standing of Agriculture from MOUAU can have an effect on the meals safety agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“It quantities to misplacement of precedence to change over to standard College at this era the nation and the South-East zone are battling meals insecurity.
“I consider our founding fathers had a cogent purpose for making it a college of agriculture,” Nto declared.
