The newly appointed Chairman of the Governing Council of the Enugu State College of Education (Technical), ESCET), Hon. Barr. Nwabueze Ugwu, has held his inaugural meeting with the College Management at the College Council Chamber, underscoring a firm commitment to advancing the technical and vocational education vision of the State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah.

 

Addressing members of the Management, Hon. Barr. Ugwu said his appointment comes at a defining moment in Enugu State’s education reform journey, as the Mbah administration prioritises world-class technical and vocational education as a driver of skills development, employability, and economic competitiveness.

 

He expressed his readiness to reposition and upgrade ESCET into a globally competitive institution, with the full support of the Enugu State Government and the cooperation of the College Management and staff.

 

The Council Chairman stated that he was fully prepared to drive the transformation of the institution by adopting Governor Mbah’s development philosophy of “Business Unusual,” stressing that delivering a world-class technical education system would require collective effort, discipline, and shared ownership of the reform agenda.

 

According to him, all hands must be on deck to achieve the desired turnaround, noting that ESCET must deliberately raise the quality of its academic and technical outputs to an enviable standard. He added that students should be trained and encouraged to participate in international competitions and high-level academic and skills-based engagements that would place the College on a competitive pedestal among its peers.

 

Hon. Barr. Ugwu explained that such strategic repositioning would not only enhance the image of ESCET but also align the institution more closely with the Governor’s vision of producing industry-ready graduates capable of competing globally, while attracting greater recognition and rewards for excellence.

He further urged the Management to shun gossip, backbiting, disunity, and unhealthy rivalries, calling instead for peace, unity, harmony, focus, and progressive ideals in the overall interest of the institution and the successful delivery of the state’s technical education reform programme.

 

In her response, the Provost of the College, Dr. Stella Ekwueme, congratulated the Council Chairman on his appointment and assured him of the total cooperation and support of the College Management and staff in realising a renewed vision for ESCET that aligns with the education transformation agenda of the Enugu State Government.

 

Dr. Ekwueme also outlined some of the key achievements recorded since her appointment as Provost in 2023, including the successful accreditation of all academic programmes in the College, facilitation of the payment of outstanding salary arrears by the State Government, increased government subvention, and the streamlining of the College’s academic calendar.

 

She, however, drew attention to some persisting challenges confronting the institution, while expressing confidence that, with the backing of the new Chairman and the Enugu State Government, such issues would be addressed to further strengthen ESCET’s capacity for growth, relevance, and excellence.

 

The meeting was attended by all the Principal Officers of the College and marked the beginning of a new phase of collaboration between the Chairman and the College Management, aimed at repositioning ESCET as a hub for world-class technical education and a key pillar of Enugu State’s human capital development strategy.

 

Comrade Chinwe Ani

PRO, ESCET