There is this saying “jack of all trade, master of none.” This has been the case in Cross River state. The policy “direction less-ness” of the Cross River state government.
The Cross River state educational sector has consistently been fundamentally misdirected, suffering mostly from misleads of our poorly considered educational policy especially in this present democratic experiment from 1999 to date.
Before 1999, Cross River state had the College of Education Akampka, the College of Agriculture, Obubra and the Polytechnic Calabar.
The myopic vision of Donald Duke saw the collapse of three of these higher institutions to form one. One that is still lagging behind in many areas, and one which cannot meet the educational need of Cross Riverians. Sometimes I wonder…. What was he thinking?
That’s however by the way. The deed has been done. Needless to wail over spilled milk.
Sometime ago, I wrote a piece and suggested the expansion of faculties and the introduction of new departments in CRUTECH given the agitation from students to get university education and following the job creation effect of such expansion.
I wish those in authority prioritises this sector and look at CRUTECH carefully. I wish the House of Assembly looks into the laws establishing CRUTECH and find areas that its amendment will bring repositioning to our dear school and the future of our children.
I wish a day will come, when we will have a functional Faculty of Medicine in CRUTECH, a functional Faculty of Law, a Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts and an upgraded Faculty of Management Sciences. I wish! Yes I wish…. I wish because this is what will liberate us from primitive thoughts – for as a man thinketh, so is he.
In this age of information, with most confrontations been the battles of the mind, and as it’s said, if your mind is conquered, you are going nowhere.
We most as a matter of necessity, develop a populace that is sufficiently routed in all works of life to position this state as an educationally sufficient state elevated from the less developed coinage that is associated with us educationally.
And who is best suited to champion this crusade? Who else? Never in the history of Nigeria has a state produced a governor and a deputy who are professors. With this in mind, there shouldn’t be any excuse whatsoever.
I fear however that we are doomed in educational policies. The latest “rumour” of a University of Agriculture is repulsive. It will amount to a fundamental error. Even if it was a joke, this joke can only be told to oneself.
And if it’s not a joke, it tells of the little mindedness of our ‘mis-leaders” who only lead us to our collective doom. What is wrong with continuity and revamping our existing sectors?
What for instance is wrong with bringing the Faculty of Agriculture to the international “Chinese” standard? What is wrong with these people?
What is wrong with these our professors? Must we continue to drift from one misguided policy to another?
Must every governor formulate a policy for him to be seen as working? Let’s take a look at the Faculty of Agriculture in Obubra. This used to be a functional higher institution of agriculture.
So why on earth will anybody conceive the idea of establishing another university when the one we have is not yet functioning at optimum level. Most times all we need is common sense and “will” to achieve great things.
A CRUTECH Ogoja campus with Faculty of Social Science and Management can house Department of Accountancy, Business Administration, Banking and Finance, Marketing, Insurance, Public Administration, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Geography, Philosophy, International Relations and Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.
An upgraded Faculty of Art will house Faculty of Law which will enable us compete favourably in every area and discipline. I keep insisting on the need for the Okuku campus to be upgraded to a fully operational medical school. With this, a teaching hospital will be established.
What better way can jobs be created? We hear of the job creation drive of the professor Governor. CRUTECH alone while helping to upgrade our educational level gradation, it will provide access to education for our children and provide the necessary job creation apparatus for our dear state.
I am optimistic. I believe we can achieve great things if we decide to do the right thing.
Leave feedback about this