*University of East London Alumni hail gov’s performance, pledge collaboration

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, says his special interest in education is driven by purpose, not politics, noting that Enugu is on the cusp of renaissance, given the transformational promises of the Smart Green Schools initiated by his administration.

Mbah also maintained that the consistent allocation of about one-third of the state’s annual budget to education by his administration underscored his belief that education is the gamechanger for any society.

This was even as the University of East London (UEL) Alumni Network, lauded him for what it described as his outstanding performance as a governor, pledging to collaborate towards the actualisation of his ambitious visions for the state.

The governor spoke in Enugu on Monday during the inauguration of the UEL Alumni Network Nigeria, of which he is a member, and when he received the leadership of the alumni in his office earlier in the day.

Delivering the keynote address at the event, which the group themed “Reshaping Nigeria’s Future: The Role of Alumni in Education, Governance, and Security,” Mbah said, “My special interest in education is not happenstance. It is driven by a deep purpose, not politics – or any quest for acclaim.

“The interest is fuelled in part by the story of a young boy from a rural community, as far removed from the trappings of modernity as you can imagine.

“Despite an early hint of brilliance, his academic ambitions were largely limited by the humbling circumstances of his parents’ income.

“He had an insatiable hunger for education and would run to school barefoot, desperate to learn.

“When told he wasn’t old enough to be enrolled, he refused to accept that answer. He begged his way into the classroom, driven by a relentless desire to learn.

“That tenacity was the spark that ignited his journey.

“That young lad is standing right before you this afternoon as a testament to the power of education – and a strong advocate for why the doors of education should be open to every child.”

The governor, who bagged a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree, Upper-Class Division, at UEL in 2000, and was also elected twice as President of UEL Law Society, noted that the university helped to reinforce and shape his life of service.

He charged the UEL Alumni Network Nigeria to rise to the challenge of reshaping Nigeria’s educational system in order to rescue the nation’s future.

“Alumni associations should increasingly galvanise action towards the creation of more endowments and grants. These are vital resources that have sustained universities and fed their independence.

“As universities in the United States experience fundamental changes that ultimately demand an end to the hallowed principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, the few that won’t budge are largely buoyed by the immense financial support of their alumni base.

“We cannot foretell the future. But we can take actions that could make the future look like what we dream it would be. Put simply, nothing empowers like education.

“To reshape Nigeria’s future, we need to understand that our future is inextricably linked to the quality of our education.

“This is why education has consistently received one-third of our total annual budget,” he stated.

Speaking at the event, President of the UEL Alumni Network Nigeria, Prof Issa Abduraheem, described Mbah as a great ambassador of the university. He cited Mbah’s trailblazing performance across all sectors and pledged the Alumni’s total support.

“There are developments in the education sector. The Smart Green School initiative, which is technologically driven, is in tandem with the vision of the Alumni. We are ready and willing to collaborate with the state government towards the actualisation of this noble project.

“Digitising of the whole state by running an E-Government system and digitising the ministry of lands to ENGIS (Enugu State Geographic Information System) and also running of smart buses, tax collections are also done digitally in the state,” he stated.

Vice President (Engagement) and Chief Marketing Officer of the University, Vanessa Varvas, in her virtual address, equally emphasised the place of education and alumni associations in shaping a nation’s future.

Highpoints of the event included the presentation of a plaque of recognition to Governor Mbah as the Grand Patron of the Nigerian chapter of UEL Alumni Network.

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