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The Faculty of Education of the University of Calabar on Tuesday recognized the contributions of the Chief of Staff to Governor Ben Ayade, Hon Martins Orim towards educational development.
Alongside Orim, were the current Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Florence Obi and the immediate past provost of the Federal College of Education, Obudu, Professor James Ejue.
The trio all passed through the faculty at different times, the Faculty’s management said.
The faculty management maintained that these trio will be the last set of awardees from the Faculty of Education as it has been split into three new Faculties – the Faculties of Vocational and Science Education, Art and Social Science Education as well as Educational Foundation Studies.
Reacting to the award, Mr. Orim said he did not expect the award and pledged to continue to work hard in ensuring quality education.
Orim described the award as “the best award” he has ever received, explained that; “the University community is a very busy community and I thought that they will not have the time to know the little things we do out there in the society. But, I am surprised that the little things I do are being noticed by the University community.”
The event also witnessed the induction of 137 graduates from the old Faculty of Education as professional teachers by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
Hon. Martins Orim told the inductees to discard the believe that teachers were only associated with the classroom, and noted that, “teaching is the most noble profession in the whole world”. He reminded them that two former Presidents – Shehu Shagari and Goodluck Jonathan were teachers as well as his principal, Governor Ayade.
On the administration’s commitment to education, he said, “as the world moves away from oil to solid minerals and agro industrialization for export, Cross River State is introducing a theme to knowledge exportation through the construction of the Teachers Continuous Training Institution in Biase Local Government Area. That institution is the brainchild of an erudite professor, a proud lecturer of a university in Nigeria who thinks we should bring our teachers to a level of international standard by constructing that institution for the continuous training of our teachers.”
