By Ebenezer Ojor:
Imo House of assembly has passed a motion urging Governor Rochas Okorocha to establish one technical college in each local government area of the state.
Leading debate on a motion she sponsored on the floor of the House during Tuesday plenary, the member for Njaba State Constituency, Hon. Uju Onwudiwe said that since government alone would not be able to provide jobs for the teeming population of unemployed, non graduates and graduates annually.
Hon. Onwudiwe who harped on the need for re-orientation of the youths to embrace skills acquisition and entrepreneurship, said technical education was germane to developing creativity in the youths and fundamental consciousness of local production of goods and services.
Continuing, the Njaba lawmaker explained that after six years in a technical secondary school, the student can engage himself in areas such as building, metal work, electrical skills among others, noting that experience has shown that technical students manage themselves better on graduation and have in most cases, single-handily sponsored their higher education.
She lamented the decreasing member of skilled persons in the state leading to the resort to foreigners from mainly Togo, who have virtually taken over the building jobs in most cases.
Onwudiwe therefore urged the state governor to urgently provide scientific and technical equipment to improve quality of learning and instill culture of skills enhancement and acquisition among Imo students.
She also urged the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to quickly provide necessary equipment and expertise to enhance teaching and learning of skills acquisition in select public schools as well as determining and identifying one secondary school per LGA for skills and entrepreneurship development and training.
