Stakeholders in Education across the country have been called upon to declare a state of emergency in the sector to standardize quality by strengthening the institutional frame work to enhance productivity.
Governor Udom Emmanuel made the call during the first Matriculation Ceremony of Ritman University, a private tertiary institution at Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of the State.
The Governor noted with pride the creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the founder of the Institution, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien saying the vision of the founder represent the true Akwa Ibom sprit of hard work, dedication and excellence which form the bedrock of the citadel of learning.
Governor Emmanuel who stated that education remain the greatest investment any man can undertake urged other great indigenes of the state to emulate the Ritman example and advised the students to imbibe the matriculation oath by allowing it regulate their stay in the university stressing that such regulation would make their parents proud and reap from their investments in them.
The State Chief Executive described Ritman University as one of the fastest growing private educational institutions and expressed appreciation to the school authority for evolving zero tolerance to cultism and other anti social behaviour explaining that effort is being made by his administration to stimulate learning and make Akwa Ibom students to face the challenging world and charged the School to align itself with the twenty-first century technology so as to produce graduates that would fit into the dynamic world of today.
He announced plans to partner the institution in the development of it infrastructure adding that such initiative would take the university to greater height of development and promised to identify with private sector initiative to improve the standard of education in the State.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Celestine Ntuen, said that a total of thirty two students were matriculated into various academic programmes of the Institution and expressed appreciation to the Governor, his wife, Martha and other dignitaries for being part of the event.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the University Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, said the Institution started classes on April 18, 2016 after being given provisional license to operate as a private university by the Nigeria University Commission ( NUC) on March 5, 2015.
He noted that the founders of the university had a dream to establish the real African Entrepreneurial University and charged the students to ensure that they are guided by dignity, integrity, elegance and courage warning them against involvement in cultism, truancy and other vices that inhibit proper learning and congratulated the parents for their choice of Ritman University for their children.
On achievements recorded by the School, Senator Ibok Essien said the Secondary Section of the Institution has produced best result in the National Examination Council of Nigeria (NECO) for 2013 and 2014 and has also excel in the South South, South East Milo Zonal Competition when it represented Akwa Ibom at Enugu State.
High-point of the occasion was the laying of foundation for an Ultra Modern University Community Centre and a Turkish Furniture Manufacturing Company, Fillano Nigeria Limited by Governor Udom Emmanuel, while the Wife Martha, Commissioned the newly built Female Hostel at the Institution.