By Adedapo Adesanya
A Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill, which seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities, among others, was sponsored by Mr Benjamin Kalu at Thursday’s plenary session.
The bill was read for the first time in the lower chamber of the National Assembly on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, and was only revisited yesterday.
Leading the debate, Mr Kalu said that the importance of education in society cannot be overemphasized, saying that education was important for a happy and stable life, for better income and livelihood and for social equality.
According to him, education makes a person self-dependent, turns dreams into reality and makes the world a better and safer place.
On the location, Mr Kalu said Bende Local Government Area of Abia is the single oldest and largest Local Government Area in the South-East geo-political zone.
“Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four Local Government Areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by the federal or state government.
“Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen.
“This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, referred the bill to the House Committee on Tertiary Education for further legislative actions.
This is not the only education-centred bill at the parliament as there was a Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Ebonyi, which also passed second reading in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The bill, which was also sponsored by Mr Kalu, seeks to ensure the adoption of agricultural techniques, enhance research and development in agriculture.
“It will also serve as a catalyst for effective agricultural education system through training, research and innovation, for effective economic utilisation and conservation of the country’s human and material resources.
“It will identify the modern agricultural education needs of the society with a view to finding solutions in the interest of national development,” he said.
