A bill for the upgrade of the Ekiti State College Of Education, Ikere Ekiti to University of Education, Science and Technology has passed a second reading at the State House of Assembly.
A Public Hearing on a Bill to upgrade the College of Education to University status has been organized by the state assembly.
Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Mrs Kemi Balogun, explained that the proposed university would provide quality training to enrich and improve the state, national and international human resources.
According to her, it would strengthen the Education for All” as emphasised in the four-cardinal points of Kayode Fayemi-led administration.
The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr Adebimpe Aderiye, pointed out that the current College of Education has all the necessary requirements for it to be upgraded to a degree-awarding university.
In a goodwill message, the Ikere community, represented by Prof. Olufemi Babatola, said that the establishment of the university would also increase the economic base of the state, the nation and the world.
It should be recalled that during the regime of Engineer Segun Oni, as governor, the College of Education was upgraded to a university of Education, named as The University of Education, Ikere Ekiti (TUNEDIK) while another University of Science and Technology was established in Ifaki Ekiti.
The people of Ikere Ekiti had kicked against the upgrade of the College of Education to a university.
The two universities were scrapped by Governor Kayode Fayemi, during his first tenure, under the premise that the state could not fund two higher institutions.
Two years after the universities, Fayemi established a College of Agriculture in Isan Ekiti, his hometown.
