The Federal College of Land Resources Technology (FECOLART) which has been maintaining a temporary site at Akwakuma in Owerri North LGA, of Imo State while abandoning the Oforolla Owerri West LGA, poorly developed permanent site for weeds, rodents and reptiles alike, last month heaved a sigh of relief when a new acting Provost was posted to oversee the administration and management of the age long institution.
Started in 1982 as a campus of the famous Federal College of Land Resources Technology, (FECOLAR) Jos, Plateau State, the institution was until the posting or deployment of the new Provost, a lame duck, less than resourceful. However, the new Provost, Elder Pius Osagie, has successfully within 3 weeks, moved every bit of the administrative and academic staff to the permanent site at Olaukwu Oforolla notwithstanding the fact that the place lacks access roads and basic socio-economic amenities like, portable water, electricity, worship centre and conducive learning environment believing that he could through his administrative sagacity turn around things for the institution.
For almost 25 years of its existence, the school authorities could not deem it fit and proper to develop the staff quarters and ordinary hostel facilities to keep the students in check against malingering, drug addiction, game hunting etc. or even provide a comprehensive transport system to enable them attend school regularly and justify the fees paid by their parents.
All these negative posturing however seem to be a thing of the past with the promotion of Elder Pius Osagie who last Tuesday May 12, 2015 paid a scheduled maiden visit to the Traditional ruler of the Host Community, HRH Eze H.A. Ekeocha, the Olaoma 1 of Olaukwu and his cabinet members led by the Traditional Prime Minister and GLO of Olaukwu Autonomous Community, Rev. G.E. Ezekwe where he assured his immediate hosts, of a cordial, symbiotic and mutual relationship and partnership that will enhancve quest to move the institution forward. Speaking on his first familiarization visit which he said was purely to interact with the natural leaders on the best possible and realistic way to fast track the desired and overdue rapid development of basic physical and structural facilities at the school including access road, Elder Osagie told his hosts that he is ready to share ideas and rub minds with all the stakeholders with a view and objective to face the challenges of providing a befitting citadel of learning and conducive atmosphere for both students and staff at Oforolla.
Responding to the speech by the new Acting Provost of FECOLART, Elder Pius Osagie, the Olaoma 1 of Olaukwu Community, Eze H.A Ekeocha, expressed his esteemed pleasure and delight at the maiden visit and assured that the community will do whatever that is required of them to make the school grow and justify its existence.
He then called for maximum cooperation between both parties in order to realize this task urgently. He also urged the new Acting Provost, Elder Osagie not to listen to gossips as this could distract him from focusing on the set goals for which he has been called to duty, while offering to assist the authorities of the school in any way, they deem fit or necessary to advance the course of the school, after all, they hold both the ofo which he describes as peace and the ola or ring for this society.
In his own submissions, the TPM, Rev. G.E Ezekwem who started with the graphical illustration of the initial efforts to attract and bring the college to Oforolla, said, “if penis does not die young, it must eat a bearded meat”, to buttress the fact that since he has lived to see the dawn of a new day at the school contrary to what the now retired Provost previously engendered and or put in place, the school has come to stay for the good and benefit of Oforolla people and their neighbours at Avu, Umuguma and Obosima.
He regretted that the former Provost never gave the people of the communities, the elusive opportunity or privilege to be part of his administration while sitting on the poor management and under development of the college. He reminded the new Acting Provost that one of the things that scared them away from visiting and interacting with the predecessor was his insistence on remaining and operating from Akwakuma from where his teachers have continued to commute, the long and inaccessible meandering road that leads into Oforolla, daily.
A former Councilor, Hon. Uchenna Ezekwe and Mr. Christian Onyeka who were also present at the occasion, called for concerted efforts by both parties to attract federal and state governments’ attention especially in the areas of road construction and the building of staff quarters so that the students can derive maximum benefit from the academic curricular as obtained in other federal institutions of higher learning in the country and elsewhere.
