By Frank Nwaete
*The History of ALVAN IKOKU FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (AIFCE) OWERRI’s UPGRADE to a “FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF* *EDUCATION” STATUS, Cannot be Complete, without Mentioning the name of PROFESSOR (MRS) VIOLA ADAKU ONWULIRI, LKSJI,* *FNSBMB, ALOHA, ADA UHI, 1, who Single-handedly Pushed for it in 2015, through her Memos, as HONOURABLE* *MINISTER OF STATE EDUCATION, under PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN Administration!*
*It has now been revealed that her Memos were titled; “APPLICATION FOR THE UPGRADE OF ALVAN IKOKU FEDERAL COLLEGE OF* *EDUCATION OWERRI TO A FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION OWERRI, Dated MARCH 26th, 2015!*
*And in response to MR PRESIDENT’s Questions, “Re- APPLICATION FOR THE UPGRADE OF ALVAN IKOKU FEDERAL COLLEGE OF* *EDUCATION OWERRI TO ALVAN IKOKU A FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION OWERRI”, Dated MAY 13th, 2015, made Additional* *Justification.*
*In Her first Memo, HON MINISTER VIOLA appealed to MR PRESIDENT thus, that in Addition to the fact that ALVAN was one of the Oldest* *Colleges of Education in Nigeria, which has made Giant Strides, that “IMO PEOPLE IN WHOSE STATE IT IS LOCATED , ARE* *MOST HUMBLY REQUESTING HIS EXCELLENCY, DR GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, TO KINDLY UPGRADE THIS* *INSTITUTION OF HIGH EXCELLENCE, TO THE STATUS OF A FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION”!*
*She further justified the Reasons for the “UPGRADE”, by “HIGHLIGHTING THE FACT THAT THE INSTITUTION HAS VERY GOOD AND STANDARD* *FACILITIES, STRUCTURES AND FUNDING, TO HOUSE SUCH AN INSTITUTION, AS EVEN* *MANY FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES WERE YET TO REACH IT’S LEVEL”!*
*PROF (MRS) ONWULIRI further informed the PRESIDENT that “HIS PRONOUNCEMENT OF THIS UPGRADING WOULD HAVE* *FULFILLED THE LONG YEARS OF DREAMS OF THE ORDINARY IMO PEOPLE AND GIVEN THEM A SENSE OF BELONGING AND* *INTEGRATION IN THE NIGERIAN PROJECT AND THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA OF MR PRESIDENT* !
*In response to MR PRESIDENT’S Note of MAY 5, 2015, MINISTER ONWULIRI Stated that the Recent Desire to “UPGRADE”, the College, is* *in tandem with the Vision of the College, namely; “THAT ALVAN IKOKU FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ENVISIONS A MODERN* *FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION IN CLEAN AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT. That is a* *Center of Excellence in ICT and Research, which Graduates are well – Adjusted* *and functional Individuals”. She recalled that ALVAN had Passed in Distinction, all the Accreditation Exercises,* *Carried out on it by the NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION (NUC), AS A DEGREE AWARDING INSTITUTION OF THE* *UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA (UNN)!*
*Surely, the Memos GOT THE SUPPORT OF THE THEN HONOURABLE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, AND THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES* *COMMISSION (NUC), AND APPROVAL OF BOTH MR PRESIDENT AND THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, IN THE SAME MAY* *2015.*
*The Development threw the entire IMO State into Excitement and Celebration, with PROF NOBLE LADY VIOLA ADAKU ONWULIRI,* *flooded with Commendation, Appreciation and Congratulatory Messages!*
*Notable among IMOLITES whom sent their Warm Congratulatory and Commendation messages then included SEN HOPE* *ODIDIKA UZODIMMA (ONWA OYOKO) (REP ORLU ZONE), HIS EXCELLENCY DR IKEDI OHAKIM (OCHI-NA-NWATA), CHIEF DR ENGR EMMANUEL* *IWUANYANWU (AHA EJI AGA MBA), and the Council of STUDENTS UNION GOVERNMENT (SUGs), OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN* *IMO STATE, AS WELL AS THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION ACADEMIC STAFF UNION (COEASU) AIFCE Branch.*
*His Excellency SEN HOPE ODIDIKA UZODIMMA (then REP ORLU ZONE), in His own message for PROF VIOLA ADAKU ONWULIRI’s* *Reception Brochure, by the NETWORK OF IMO PROFESSIONALS IN JUNE 2015, and titled, “CONGRATULATIONS MY* *PROF FOR AN HONOUR WELL DESERVED”, He wrote; “IT WILL REMAIN TO THE ETERNAL CREDIT OF OUR EVER FOCUSED SISTER AND* *PROF, THAT ALVAN IKOKU FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION BECAME A FEDERAL UNIVERSITY,* *UNDER HER WATCH AS MINISTER OF EDUCATION”!*
*Also in their Joy, the “COUNCIL OF STUDENTS UNION GOVERNMENTs (SUG), of TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN IMO,* *UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF COMRADE NWADIKE ORIENT, HAD ON 2nd JUNE, 2015, HONOURED MINISTER VIOLA ADAKU ONWULIRI* *WITH AN AWARD AS “THE ARCHITECT OF ALVAN IKOKU FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION* *OWERRI”, an AWARD THEY SAID WAS BASED ON HER VITAL AND UNCOUNTABLE* *CONTRIBUTIONS IN MAKING THE INSTITUTION A UNIVERSITY!!!*
*COMRADE NWADIKE ORIENT IS TODAY THE CHAIRMAN OF ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC), NWANGELE LGA, IMO STATE* !
