Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Adeolu Akande, has commended the upgrading of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, EACOED, Oyo, to university status.
Akande, a professor of comparative politics and director at the Centre for Presidential Studies, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, said the development was a welcome development.
The APC chieftain noted that the upgrade will in no small way help the teeming youths of Oyo State who daily seek admission into tertiary institutions.
“The upgrade of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, EACOED, to a university status is long overdue. It will not only boost the economy of the host community, being the first university of education in the state, it will also help accommodate our teeming admission seekers who are qualified but are denied admission because they are non-indigenes of the states where they are forced to apply to.
“I like to add at this point that education is one of the reasons why majority of our youth are still hopeful and anything that would take them away from anti-social behaviors must be given priority by the state.
“From its days as St. Andrews College of Education, SACOED to when the state took it over from the missionaries- Oyo State College of Education, OYSCOED, has always been a pride of all indigenes of the state. There is hardly a community in Oyo State without alumni of the institution.The development in Oyo State and indeed Western Nigerian cannot be written without copious reference to the contributions of St Andrews College of Education, Oyo that produced thousands of teachers who intern produced the manpower that drove the development efforts.
“I wish to advise the government and management of the institution to work out plans that can make the institution self-sustaining. It is important because it is becoming pretty difficult for state to fund education, especially the tertiary ones,” Akande submitted.
