By Emeka Njoku
The Abia State College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu (ASCETA) is the most suited institution to host the proposed South-East University. Dr. Philips Nto, immediate past Provost of ASCETA, made this known, just as he stated that the institution boasted of requisite infrastructure to host a university, including the added advantage of a serene environment.
Dr. Nto who was reacting to the plan by South-East governors to site the University at Arochukwu, noted that the college already had high-powered structures and technical equipment to host any kind of a university.
He said within his seven years stay as Provost, he was able to attract from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), ten solid buildings that could accommodate as many faculties as possible.
Said he: “TETFUND was magnanimous to approve these structures for ASCETA when I was the Provost. Beyond that, they equipped all of them to serve the needs of both staff and students”.
Nto Said ASCETA currently had the largest library in the entire South-East, while e:learning equipment for linkages had been set up in most of the classrooms.
Nto who is a former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning in Abia State, disclosed that he had made presentations to both the Executive Council of the state as well as the State House of Assembly on the need to transform ASCETA into a university.
He argued that transforming the college into a university would automatically solve the problem of low enrollment, currently plaguing the institution as well as projecting it into the world for patronage, just as he commended Governor Alex Otti for recommending ASCETA to his brother governors for the siting of the South-East University.
Declared Nto: “Arochukwu is a historical city .ASCETA currently has the best structures and modern infrastructure, which I attracted from TETFUND. I pray that this vision of the South-East governors comes to fruition”.
