By Gbadamosi Oladimeji
Six Federal Colleges of Education, one in each of the six geopolitical zones, have been approved by the Federal Government.
The Colleges, all of which would take off in October this year, are located in Iwo, Osun State; Jama’re, Bauchi State; Odugbo, Benue State, Isu, Ebonyi State; Ekiadolor, Edo State and Gidan Madi in Sokoto State.
A statement in Abuja, dated 18 May 2020, by the Director Press and PR, Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Bem Goong, said a technical team from the Ministry and the National Commission for Colleges of Education will be visiting the states concerned soon, as part of efforts to get the Colleges started in October, 2020.
The statement read: “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Education has been drown to the mutilation of the official correspondence between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Government of Osun State over the location of the newly approved Federal Colleges of Education in the state, which has widely circulated in social media and conventional media.
“The Federal Government, therefore, wishes to clarify the locations of the Colleges below:
“Bauchi: Jama’are in Jama’are Local government.
Benue: Odugbo in Apa Local government.
Ebonyi : Isu in Onicha Local government.
Edo: Ekidolor in Ovia North-east Local government.
Osun: Iwo in Iwo Local government.
Sokoto: Gidan Madi in Tangaza Local government.”
However, letter to the effects has already gone to relevant Governors, while a technical team from the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and the National Commission of College of Education (NCCE) will be visiting the benefited states to inspect and assess the sites in the coming weeks in preparations for the take-off of the Colleges in October 2020.
It could be recalled last week, that the Federal Government has said it has not decided on the location of the six (6) new Colleges of Education recently approved, describing letters purportedly emanating from the Federal Ministry of Education circulating in the social media, as fake.
However, the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Ben Bem Goong, told Kaftanpost on the telephone, on Sunday, that the Ministry was appalled by the fake letter purportedly signed by the Permanent Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono.
“I’m aware of the letter. The Permanent Secretary showed it to me on Friday. It is fake. We will do something about this before havoc emanates from it,” he said.
There was confusion when two letters were written on the same date and addressed to Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, Executive Governor of Osun State, from the Federal Ministry of Education with the same signature carrying different approvals for the location of the new College of Education in the state.
While one of the letters indicated that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the establishment of a College of Education to be located at Iwo in Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria,
The second letter said President Buhari has approved the establishment of a College of Education to be located at Ila Orangun, Ila local government of Osun State, but the location had been changed to Iwo, Iwo local Government.
Buhari approved those Colleges of Education In a bid towards increasing the number of quality teachers and improvement in the standard of education in the country.
