REPORT OF AN INSPECTION TOUR OF A DELEGATION FROM OKUN PATRIOTS, TO THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), KABBA, KOGI STATE
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
Introduction
Okun Patriots recently constituted a 16-man team from its ranks, to visit the 10-year old College of Education (Technical), Kabba (COETK), at the earliest convenience of the team. After the postponement of the visit which was initially scheduled for Thursday September 2, 2021, the delegation undertook the assignment Thursday September 9, 2021. Members of the delegation on the occasion of the visit
1. Chief Clarence Olafemi: Chairman
2. Dr Tunde Olusunle: Secretary
3. Mr Emmanuel Bobinihi: Member
4. Mr Michael Famodile
5. Mr Christopher Barinkin (Representing Mr Lekan Aiyenigba)
6. Mr Julius Olusegun: Co-opted
The team, led by former Acting Governor of Kogi State and former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Chief Clarence Olafemi, congregated at Lisa Palms Hotel, Kabba at about 11am on September 9, 2021, before proceeding on the visit, at 12 noon. This was primarily, to interface with one another; familiarize with one another and be on the same page for the assignment.
Our primary brief on the visit was to engage with the leadership of the institution and its students, to explore areas where Okun Patriots could partner with the school, in the identification of talented students of the college, for possible support to facilitate the continuous development of such gifted young scholars. A specific case in point is Adedayo Kehinde, a 24 year old graduate of automobile engineering from the institution, who recently developed a drone and miniature airplanes.
Meeting with officials of COETK
The delegation was warmly received by the Provost of the institution, Mrs Victoria Olusola Jagboro, and other principal officers of the institution. We were led to the office of the Provost as a holding area, before being ushered to the conference room. In her welcome address, the Provost underscored the historicity of the visit and applauded the initiators of the idea. She noted that much as the college was established in 2010, academic activities commenced in 2011. The institution at the moment, has four schools namely:
•School of Education
•School of Sciences
•School of Vocation
•School of Technical Education
All the courses in the college she noted, have been duly and fully accredited by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). COETK she said, had graduated eight sets of students who were awarded the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE). Student enrollment has grown from a little over 200 in 2017, to a little bit nearly 1000 currently, but people need to be enlightened about the existence of the school, and, critically, encouraged to focus on courses in the science and technical courses. A number of people from Okunland, the Provost said, are sponsoring students in COETK, as a way of corporate social responsibility, CSR, even as the institution encourages more and more Okun philanthropists to invest in human capacity development of youths from Okunland by enrolling them in the college and empowering them with the requisite skills and education to pursue sustainable lives. The management of the school is also making efforts to introduce certificate and skill acquisition training programmes to equip candidates with relevant and sell-able skills to keep them up to speed in the nation’s ever dynamic socioeconomy. The institution is also open to collaboration with individuals and entrepreneurs in the development of hostels on Public Private Partnership, (PPP) basis, as well as the establishment of business ventures.
Visit to the permanent site of COETK
While the administrative core of the college continues to operate from the temporary site at Egbeda, Kabba, the permanent site is being developed and is already in use by members of the college’s community. There are for instance a large lecture auditorium; an ICT complex; a newly completed mechatronics workshop as well as a fine and applied arts studio. There are also blocks of classrooms and offices at various stages of completion, largely through the instrumentation of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND). Other individuals and agencies which have supported the growth of the college according to the Provost include Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello; Chief Clarence Olafemi; the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); the National Communications Commission (NCC), amongst others.
COETK is be-devilled by a host of challenges, with particular regards to the development of its permanent campus. Access to the campus is largely impeded by the absence of a link road and bridge across a running stream, at the entrance to the new site. There is a makeshift plank contraption, barely accessible by motorcycles. It follows therefore, automobiles visiting the site have to park at the grass patch at the approach to the school and complete the trip into the college by foot. This would require the assistance of the state government and perhaps enthusiastic private sector operators.
The large expanse of the land procured for the development of the institution, remains insecure because there is no perimeter fence around the two kilometres by one end half kilometres luminous parcel of land. Apart from possible threats of encroachment, the woodland around the place has become a convenient haven for miscreants. This also requires immediate remediation.
Team Leader, Chief Olafemi thanked the Provost for the detailed information she availed the team. He assured that *Okun Patriots* will do its best to explore ways of engaging with the state government to find ways of assisting the institution. He observed that his heart remains very close to COETK, which was signed into law within the two-month span as Acting Governor of Kogi State in 2010.
Engagement with the young inventor, Mr Adebayo Kehinde
The visitation team met and interacted with Adebayo Kehinde, the 24 year old graduate of Automobile Engineering from COETK, who recently made headlines for his invention of surveillance drones and miniature aircraft. Before our very eyes, he operated all the devices, controlled by a handheld device, and monitored from a laptop. The drone can ascend hundreds of metres into the skies and is capable of capturing developments within a radius of two kilometres. One of the airplane miniatures, took off after minimum taxi-ing time, which underscores its peculiarly fast “climb rate” as is applicable in the language of aviators.
Adebayo Kehinde informed us that Proforce a Nigerian patent based in Ogun State and currently producing armoured vehicles for Nigeria’s military, are in talks with him, for possible sponsorship. The Institute of Drones in China, have also engaged him to discuss possibilities of sponsorship for further education.
Recommendations
1. Okun Patriots in the service of the incumbent administration both at the federal level and the level of Kogi State government, should synergise to draw the attention of government to the need to support COETK, which is breaking new grounds, irrespective of its multifarious challenges.
In the particular case of the access road and link bridge to the new campus of the school, construction companies operating within the immediate precincts of Kabba/Okunland, should be mandated to assess the work which is needed to be done and to articulate proposals for consideration and implementation by the state government.
2. A small team of technically inclined Okun Patriots, should further engage with Adebayo Kehinde, so as to distill his thoughts and to guide his development, positively and practically. He should not be left to the whims of organisations and agencies making overtures to him, whose specific plans for his professional growth, cannot be ascertained as yet. While awaiting the maturation of such pledges and promises both locally and internationally, Okun Patriots must ensure that Adebayo Kehinde gets into a Nigerian university, where Automobile Engineering is studied. He should continue to grow his knowledge in his preferred professional field, while bigger, better opportunities are being explored. On no account should he be allowed to float around in Kabba, where he has had his education from elementary school to NCE, doing nothing.
3. Any other suggestion or recommendation, which Okun Patriots may come up with.
Conclusion
We thank Okun Patriots for entrusting us with this assignment. We hope we have been useful to our homeland, the Okun country.
Signed:
•Chief Clarence Olafemi
Former Acting Governor of Kogi State and Team Leader
Dr Tunde Olusunle
Team Secretary
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