By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE College of Education, Ekiadolor 2003 set has commended the Edo State governor for allocating N48 billion for the education sector, the highest in the history of budgeting in the state.

The chairman, Caretaker Committee of the association, Eghosa Ehonwa stated this at the inaugural reunion meeting of the 2003 set of the college, 21 years after they graduated from the school.

Ehonwa commended the government for decentralizing the school into three campuses but called on the government to provide the needed infrastructure to make the school conducive for learning by the students.

It would be recalled that the immediate past administration decentralized the school by splitting it into three campuses with one in Abudu, Iruekpen and Afuze.

According to Ehonwa, “I want to appreciate the new government because going by the budget, there is a very handsome sum for education and I would pray that what is written there is executed and I believe that if it is followed meticulously, we will see a meaningful facelift in education in this state.

“I want to commend the government for the decentralization of the school. You cannot centralize education so trying to move education to other areas of the state is a very welcome development but going forward, it is not just enough to have campuses, we wish that government in their wisdom and magnanimity should do their best to make these campuses standard enough for people to attend the schools, to learn because the college of education is the womb that produces those teachers that are in turn going to pass knowledge to students so they need to be well trained and equipped in order to achieve these tasks.

Ehinwa said the gathering “is to meet each other and reunite and reconnect after 21 years and I want to thank God that it has been a successful event.”

In his keynote address, Frankie Aghahekokhian said for 21 years they parted ways but the reunion was an opportunity to reflect on the bond that brought them together.

He said the power of any alumni association is unity and urged the members to use the platform to inspire one another “support each other’s endeavour and give back to the institution that played a pivotal role in shaping who we are today.”