By Uno Onete
The College of Health Technology, Calabar has matriculated 684 students in her 18th matriculation ceremony amidst pomp and pageantry.
The matriculation took place last week at the college’s premises with a mammoth crowd in attendance.
In his remarks at the occasion, the Visitor to the college, Governor Bassey Otu, applauded the high academic standard in the college and promised that all issues raised earlier by its Provost, Elder Dr. Ita Ikpeme, would be tackled.
Represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk, the Visitor urged students to shun cultism as government has zero tolerance for it.
He expressed worry that constituency projects were not attracted to tertiary institutions the way it should be, and therefore appealed to public spirited individuals and groups to bring projects to the college as government alone could not do everything.
Speaking earlier, Dr Ikpeme had highlighted achievements and challenges of the college under his watch, and therefore appealed to the Governor to approve the appointment of all management staff to a substantive position as all of them were currently serving on acting capacity.
Dr Ikpeme also raised the issue of none passage of the reviewed Act that established the college into law by the State House of Assembly, noting that the review would facilitate the upgrade of the college to a polytechnic status, and also grant it legal rights to access TETFUND.
He further lamented accommodation challenges for students and staff, lack of operational vehicles to enhance management efficiency, accreditation and reaccreditation of courses whose accreditation had long elapsed, among others.
