Gabriel Dike
Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, may soon announce the conversion of the 59-year-old Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, to University of Education.
Ahead of the expected pronouncement, staff and students of the college hope the decision would be made in June to coincide with the institution’s 60th anniversary.
Addressing newsmen yesterday on the proposed university status, AOCOED staff unions, said since 2009, they have been agitating for a change in status of the institution to University of Education.
Chairmen of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Mr. Michael Avosetinyen and Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education in Nigeria (SSUCOEN), Wunmu Ombugadu, at a joint briefing, said the proposed upgrade of AOCOED to university was long over due and both commended Ambode for taking the initiative.
The COEASU chairman said when the management conveyed the news of Ambode’s plan to convert AOCOED into university status, staff and students received it with enthusiasm and jubilation and prayed that the governor would make it a birthday gift in June, during the 60 anniversary of the college.
“We have been able to convince the governor that the University of Education is not only the trend, it is also cultural as our society is no longer interested in college of education as reflected in the previous admission statistics of students who deliberately chose AOCOED as their first choice.
“The highest statistics in the recent past is 24. The implication of this is that the state government and the college will be at a loss while the staff may not be able to justify their existence.’’
Avosetinyen revealed that AOCOED has the personnel and facilities to meet up with the new status and added that different accreditation teams of the National Universities Commission (NUC) have accredited the college degree programme, affiliated with Ekiti State University, on three occasions, with 100 percent endorsement in physical structure and personnel.
“In terms of the highest academic degree which is Ph.D, no college of education in Nigeria and faculty of education in any of the Nigerian universities can beat our college.
“AOCOED is endowed with over 60 Ph.D holders while about 10 lecturers are getting ready for their defence soonest. Apart from that, more than 50 lecturers are presently on Ph.D programme home and abroad,’’ he said.
This is a good one. One can be sure that LASG will run a better educational university than some other states in Nigeria. Governor Ambode is an embodiment of how one should run a good administration. He has ideas and listens to people’s opinion. He is not aloof or arrogant. However, he should tread softly, softly on the issue of taxes and re-emerging dirty environment. The Land Use Charge may pitch the masses against him. This is not the time to toy with the pains of the masses. There is serious suffering in the land even. What many do is ‘suffering and smiling’. Not many find it easy to survive in Lagos. If many of us have opportunities we shall all apply to LASG for employment because it is better there than outside.