The Madonna College of Health Technology (MACOTECH), Olokoro, owned by the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia, has matriculated 200 pioneer students for the 2020/2021, 2021/2022 academic sessions.
Speaking at the maiden ceremony, the Visitor to the college and Bishop of the diocese, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, said the institution was built to support the efforts to bridge the gap in the health delivery system.
Ugorji said the college had the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities as well as qualified academic and non-academic staff members to “train the students to become employable”.
He further hoped that the college would help to address the problem of youth unemployment and dearth of relevant technical manpower being experienced in most hospitals in the country.
He said the institution would also create jobs and contribute significantly to the development of its host community and Abia in general.
The cleric expressed delight over the robust partnership between the diocese and Abia Government toward building a progressive society.
He said that MACOTECH was conceived in 2020, but could not be realized in record time due to the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
In a speech, the pioneer Provost, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, thanked the bishop for the initiative to build a college to specially train professionals in health technology.
Anokwuru, who holds a Doctoral Degree in Philosophy, said the college commenced academic activities on Nov. 16, 2020, with 25 pioneer students.
“Today, we have 200 students in our four fully-accredited departments,” he said.
According to him, there is no doubt that MACOHTECH is on an upward trajectory to becoming one of the best health institutions in the South-East.
He commended the pioneer students and their parents and guardians, “who reposed high confidence in us, even when we had very little on ground to justify such trust “.
He admonished the students to be serious and committed to their studies to justify the investment in their academic pursuit.
Quoting St. Augustine in the theme of his speech, the provost said: “God cannot do for you, what you can do for yourself.”
“Your parents’ job is to provide for you and support your education in whatever way they can.
“Your job is to study very hard and make sure that their investments in your education and training do not go to waste. You cannot have any other motive but this.
“The decision is yours whether to make your parents proud by working hard or waste your time chasing frivolities while on campus. God will not do it for you.”
Anokwuru said the college had achieved accreditation and affiliation in Community Health, Public Health, Medical Laboratory and Pharmacy.
He also said the institution had completed and equipped the Community Health Department’s Maternal/Child Clinic, built a Police Post and Provost Guest House, amongst other projects.
He thanked some prominent Abia indigenes, including Dr. Alex Otti, a financial expert turned politician, the Deputy Provost, Mr. Boniface Nweke, and the Head of Community Health Department, Mr. Shebbs Anthony, for their support toward the successful take off of the college.
He appealed to good-spirited individuals and corporate organizations in Abia and beyond to assist toward the completion of the ongoing male and female hostels, Bishop Ugorji Auditorium, flood control and construction of more classroom blocks and good road network in the college.
Also, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the college, Prof. Hilary Edeoga, admonished the students to shun cultism and other social vices and concentrate on their studies to achieve excellence.
Edeoga, a former Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpare University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), assured them that the college would not be bedevilled by intermittent strikes that often disrupt academic calendar, especially in government-owned tertiary educational instititutions in the country.
He urged the bishop to adequately harness the huge intellectual endowment and administrative ingenuity of the provost of the college for the overall growth and transformation of the institution and Umuahia diocese at large.
In a matriculation lecture, Prof. Michael Ukah, from MOUAU further charged the students to busy themselves with their studies and shun negative tendencies, capable of destroying their academic careers.
The Commissioner for Post-Basic Education, Mr Israel Mark, thanked the bishop and Catholic Church for collaborating with the state government to address the educational needs of the youths.
Mark promised that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu-led government would continue to provide the enabling environment to support private sector initiative toward the overall development of Abia.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highlights of the event included the administration of matriculation oath on the students by the Registrar of the college, Mrs Nnenna Agbai.
The ceremony was attented by the Auxiliary Bishop of Umuahia diocese, Most Rev. Michael Ukpong, traditional rulers from Olokoro, led by the Chairman, Umuahia South Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Stephen Ihuoma, and members of the Governing Council, amongst others. (NAN)
