Ekiti: Ilawe Community Hands Over 107 Hectares Of Land For Federal College Of Education Take Off

By Ayodele Oni

Ilawe community in Ekiti State has donated 107 hectares of land to the federal government for the take off of a college of education.

At the handover of the land, the State Government directed the Surveyor General to perfect necessary documents of the land, which has been surveyed to the federal government.

With the handover of the land, the Federal College of Education, Ilawe Ekiti, has formally commenced operations.

Speaking at the occasion, the Alawe,  Oba Adebanji Alabi, described the occasion as a fulfilment of a great dream saying “this is a dream come true despite all the vicissitudes.”

Welcoming the delegation from the Federal Ministry of Education Abuja, the Ekiti State ministry of education, as well as all Principal Officers of the Federal College of Education  to the occasion, Oba Alabi appreciated President Bola Tinubu for approving the immediate take off of the Federal College of Education while eulogizing former President Mohammadu Buhari for giving the initial approval.

A statement by media adviser to the monarch, Ajibade Olubunmi, said Oba Alabi added that the struggle by Ilawe community to have the College began in 2016 through series of letters and memoranda to the federal government from him.

Alawe, a former Chairman of Ekiti Traditional Rulers Council, expressed gratitude to those who stood by him and the community in the realization  of the Federal College of Education in Ilawe, promising that the community would reciprocate the gesture by giving support in whatever way possible to the government of the day.

“As a grateful community, we will continue to support all the people oriented  programmes of the federal and state governments.”

The leader of the federal government delegation, who is the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Andrew Adejo, said the establishment of the school was a practical demonstration of the federal government’s determination to expand educational opportunities, and invest in the training of future educators.

The permanent secretary thanked the State government for its support, saying making the institution become a reality by President Tinubu, was an evidence of his Renewed Hope Agenda.

The  Provost of the institution, Dr  Ikuejube Ajigbade, explained that the College of Education was a special one, and a two in one school, as it would serve as both a College of Education and University, awarding both NCE Certificate and Degrees.

He explained that “the college would run courses in both Education, Sciences and Technology, while plans are on to also to extend the trend to vocational and allied studies, in order to produce job opportunities for our teaming youths.”

The Ekiti State Governor,  represented on the occasion, by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr Kofoworola Aderiye, congratulated the Ilawe community for the siting of the institution and for already making available, a total of 107 hectares of land for its permanent site.

He stated that the site had been surveyed by Surveyor-General, for further necessary action.

The governor said that the erstwhile facility of the Government Girls College, Ilawe Ekiti, which was built by the Federal Government, had also been released for the take-off of the Federal College of Education, pending the adequate development of the permanent site.