Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
By Saviour Ekpe
Haile Selassie, an Ethiopian Emperor and Statesman once posits, “Education develops the intellect; and the intellect distinguishes man from other creatures. It is education that enables man to harness nature and utilize her resources for the well-being and improvement of his life. The key for the betterment and completeness of modern living is education. But, ‘ Man cannot live by bread alone ‘. Man, after all, is also composed of intellect and soul. Therefore, education in general, and higher education in particular, must aim to provide, beyond the physical, food for the intellect and soul. That education which ignores man’s intrinsic nature, and neglects his intellect and reasoning power cannot be considered true education”.
When the immediate past President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan gave a green bill and lifted up the age-long ban on private sector involvement in the establishment of Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, some critics saw it in bad light while some positive and progressive thinkers reasoned along with Haile Selassie. It could be recalled that in Nigeria, license were granted to government to establish private University and Polytechnic aside very negligible few who got the license. This posed difficulty for Nigerian students to acquire certificates. The effort and education policy of the immediate past President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan abrogated this hurdle and today, many private Universities, Polytechnics and Monotechnics have been established in the shores of Nigeria, this increase the students admission into tertiary Institutions in Nigeria in a geometrical dimension. In Akwa Ibom State for instance, some private Tertiary Institutions have been given license and Authority to operate including Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene; Heritage Polytechnic, Eket and many others who are in the offing.
It could be recalled that one of the Akwa Ibom finest and innovative Institutions, Maurid Institute of Management and Technology (MIMT) located at Mbiaso in Nsit Ibom and in Oron have been subjects of controversy of recent by both students and parent especially Maurid Institute of Management and Technology (MIMT) located at Mbiaso in Nsit Ibom local government area of Akwa Ibom State. Such controversy came as a result of the Management plans to get the Institution metamorphosed from a management institute (Monotechnic) to a full-fledged polytechnic.
Maurid Institute of Management and Technology (MIMT) according finding carried out by Century Newsfront revealed that, the Institution got registered and operated in Nassarawa State in 2010 but the religious crisis and intolerance threatened its existence, which led to relocation of the institute where fresh registration was sought for, approval gotten in September, 2017 after a rigorous and painstaking process of registration by the co-ordinating body, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to provide National Innovative Diploma (NID) training for student seeking to acquire professional skills in Performing and Media Art, Banking Operation, Computer Software Technology, Telecommunication Technology and Paralegal studies.
With its strategic mission, this is “to provide middle class man-power training to make our students self-reliant at graduation for the development of the State, Economy and the Nation at large”, the school is doing its best to contribute to the economy of the state and nation through innovative training, guidance and technological driven education.
When contacted the Rector of the Institution who also is the Chairman, Board of Directors, Dr. Godwin Umontuen noted that the institution has come to stay in Akwa Ibom. Dr. Umontuen explained that it was the hands of God that saved him thoughout his sojourn in the north. He expressed with a sense of satisfaction that he will redouble his effort of what he did in the north to ensure that the state benefit maximally from his endearvours. He explained the rationale behind the polytechnic, “after being given the ‘Authority to Operate’ license as an institute, we immediately swung into action with the process of converting the Institute to a full-fledged Polytechnic and the process is actually rigorous and we are on it”.
Dr. Umontuen, an indigene of Onna promised to bring his experiences to bear in the state, “our programmes are designed to provide competent knowledge workers, who can solve the 21st century challenges. Studying in our Institution will increase your career path and give you the training required to be independent and self reliant. He argued that the school is not just a local institution as is partnering with reputable institutions within and outside Nigeria to give the best to our children, “as part of our competitive advantage, we have partnered with other well established institutions in the world, including The Chartered Institute of Commerce of Nigeria and The Royal Academy of Guyana U.S.A”.
