NCCE tasks Dickson on improved facilities at Adaka Boro COE

The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), has charged the Bayelsa State government to improve on the facilities at the state-owned Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, in order to facilitate the accreditation of the college.

Acting Director of NCCE, Mr. Vitalis Uji, who stated this during a courtesy visit to Governor Seriake Dickson, in Yenagoa, emphasised the need for the state government to put in place quality facilities, which he said would go a long way in enhancing teaching and learning and invariably reflect on graduating students from the institution.

He posited that the provisional approval that enabled the college to take off, was based on an earlier verification exercise carried out on available facilities at the former site of the school at Okpoama, Brass Local Council.

He explained that the commission cannot transfer the approval to the new site on the basis of what it verified on the former campus.

It would be recalled that the school, which was established by the administration of former Governor Timipre Sylva, was moved to Sagbama, by Governor Dickson.This development prompted another verification visit by NCCE.

Uji urged the governor to provide perimeter fencing, practical workshops, a standard library, clinic and adequate academics as well as non-teaching staff for the college. All these he said were major determinants for possible accreditation during the commission’s next visit to the college.

Dickson in his response assured the commission of his administration’s commitment to completing most ongoing projects at the institution before the next inspection visit, in spite of shortfalls in revenues accruing to the state.

He explained that education occupies a pride of place in the administration’s agenda, stressing that, the government was not only determined to making proper investments in state-owned tertiary institutions, but repositioning them to attract students and the best manpower from within and outside the state.

He said, “We take education very seriously and we are also very ambitious in terms of putting our state forward in that sector. But, as you are aware, just like what is happening at the federal level and in most other states, we have a lot of funding constraints.”

Dickson assured that government would evolve plans to ensure adequate funding for the college in order for it to stand our as one of the best in the country.