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How bad governance hinders science, technology education development, by Ugwuanyi

By Lawrence Njoku, Enugu
04 June 2018   |   3:57 am
Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has said that bad governance corruption and dearth of effective research have hindered development of science and technology education in the country.He said to unlock the country’s hidden potentials, previous blunders in policy formulation and implementation have to be corrected, adding that all cadres of professionals should come together to…

Ugwuanyi

Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has said that bad governance corruption and dearth of effective research have hindered development of science and technology education in the country.He said to unlock the country’s hidden potentials, previous blunders in policy formulation and implementation have to be corrected, adding that all cadres of professionals should come together to forge a way forward and force government to make commitment to technology acquisition and development.

He made the assertions while delivering the fourth distinguished academic lecture of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu on the theme: The Place Of Good Governance In Achieving Functional Science And Technology Education In Nigeria.

The governor urged a more robust private sector participation in the country’s science and technology education as done in developed countries.Explaining how good governance could help to achieve functional science and technology education in Nigeria, the governor said that it would impact adequate teacher education and training, provision of the necessary and relevant infrastructure, adequate funding, coordinated and adequate training of students and development of functional curricula and program structure.

He said: “The implication of this is that there cannot be a functional science education in the absence of good governance. When power and resources are not well managed for the welfare of the people, there is bound to be a problem.

“Governance is good when it is not discriminatory and every member of the society is treated according to the established laws.”Using the IMT as a case study, Ugwuanyi, who announced a full tuition scholarship for 340 students studying engineering in the school, added that the Institution got over N1 billion as grants, excluding monthly subvention as part of his administration’s effort to elevate its learning standards.He stated that part of the funds was released for the construction of classrooms, office complexes, medical centre, as well as reaccreditation of 18 academic programmes.

He pointed out that each of the 17 council areas in the state would have 20 fresh students, who would benefit from the scholarship opportunity, adding that the scholarship would run for four years.

“This is one way we translate the need for all to embrace science and technology into action in the state as we have given similar number of scholarship to engineering students in the state-owned Polytechnic in Iwollo,” he said.

Earlier, Chairman, IMT Governing Council, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for investing in the institution after 36 years of neglect.Nwobodo commended the governor for recently approving and releasing N810 million for the up-grade of the institution’s facilities including: classrooms, staff offices, medical centre, as well as examinations and records department building.

“We are also grateful for the timely release of money for the reaccreditation of 18 courses in the institution, training of all staff in computer literacy and up-grading the IMT environment.

“However, we are appealing to the state government to provide transmitter for our radio and television studios domiciled in the Mass Communication Department,” she said.Chairman of the event and Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc., Dr. Herbert Wigwe, said the bank would continue to identify with the institution in building a functional education in the country.Wigwe, who was represented by Victor Etukudo, thanked the management of the institution for using the lecture to advance learning and academic frontiers of the country.

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