Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, has urged politicians at state and national levels to use their constituency budgets to attract the setting of a study centre at their localities.
Adamu stated this at the inauguration of two community study centres built by the Asaga-Ohafia Development Union (ADU), Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State and Isulo Development Union in Anambra State.
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, he said politicians should cultivate the habit of providing education to their constituents as this, according to him, will liberate communities and armed individuals with the right attitude in the society.
He particularly singled out for praise the Honorable Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, for the establishment of NOUN study and incubation centre in his community.
NOUN as the only single Open and Distance Learning (ODL) university in the country, he explained, provides individuals with the opportunity of studying anywhere and anytime.
In his welcome address, the President-General, Asaga-Ohafia Development Union, Chief Iheanacho Aso Uhaka, commended the efforts of NOUN management in its efforts at expanding access to higher education through the open and distance learning programme.
He said the citing of a study centre at Asaga-Ohafia was to cushion the tertiary educational constraints and challenges of the area.
"It is our hope that the establishment of NOUN in Asaga-Ohafia, the only one in Abia State outside the state capital, will positively impact on the lives of the members of our community," the union’s president added.
He assured that the community will strive towards upgrading facilities at the centre in order to make the study centre an epitome of educational reference.
To further express their profound appreciation, the VC was honored by the Asaga Ukwu Autonomous Community with a certificate of citizenship and award of a chieftaincy title by the Ezematita in-Council, Elder Dr. Sunny Ukweni.
Adamu was conferred with the title: "Abba ji Nmusa of Asaga Ukwu," meaning the "Pillar of Education" in recognition of his outstanding effort in bringing higher education to the grassroots.
At the Isulo commissioning ceremony in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, represented by the DVC (Academic), Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, expressed the university’s deep appreciation to the community for their vision to partner with NOUN.
He stated that NOUN offers unique opportunity to people irrespective of their social circumstances to acquire higher education through the instrumentality of Open and Distance Learning (ODL), which he described as the way to go in the 21st Century society.
The VC emphasized that during the COVID - 19 pandemic the institution triumphed conveniently in delivering its education mandate.
The President-General, Isulo Development Union, Hon. Samuel Kennedy Oguagbaka, said the handing-over of the centre was an indication of their sacrifice for government’s presence and in taking education further down to the doorstep of the community.
The centre has a 100KVA Cat Lister and a borehole with two overhead tanks.
NOUN News correspondent gathered that the prospects of the centre abounds, as it sits in-between two Local Government Headquarters of Orumba South Local Area and Orumba North Local Government Area, with a barely three kilometers distance.
The Chairman, Orumba South Local Government Area, Hon. Cyprian Okeke, said communities such as Umunze, Okigwe, Arondizogu, Akokwa, Osina, Orlu, Umuaka, Isuochi and its environs from Imo and Abia States, would benefit from Isulo Community Study Centre.
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