By Norbert Hwakaa
With quality education at affordable rate and the feat of matriculating 165 students at inception, it is no doubt that Intercontinental College of Technology, Makurdi is living true to her motto, “A Polytechnic with a Difference.”
The college, on Friday, 14th June, 2024, matriculated 165 students into nine highly specialized diploma courses including Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Statistics, Accountancy, Computer Science, Printing Technology, Multi-Media Technology, Business Administration and Management, and Fashion Design and Clothing Technology.
Speaking at the ceremony, the visitor of the polytechnic and man behind the initiative, Dr. Samuel Ortom promised the students of continued support, saying “whatever project you have undertaken to do, the management will design a special programme for it and I will sponsor to ensure that you are successful”.
The erstwhile governor of Benue State challenged the matriculating students to take their studies seriously and live a lifestyle that would depict them as good ambassadors of not just the school but also their parents and the society in general.
Owing to the resourcefulness of the courses in terms of skills acquisition, the Visitor of the institution further encouraged the students to harness the opportunities offered them to become good business people and employers of labour upon graduation, stressing that the best economies of the world were driven by the private sector while the government regulates and supervises.
“I was in government for eight years. There is no way government can provide all the jobs needed. The people must be ready and willing to impact positively on lives. Government elsewhere like China, is no longer in business, what government does is regulation, supervision to ensure compliance. The driver is the private sector. It is men and women like you that are doing it. So you have a lot of opportunities at ICTM to become drivers of Nigeria’s economy”, Ortom said.
He assured the students that in three years time, the institution would be running Higher National Diploma programmes, saying he was giving so much to the society not because he had in abundance but because he wanted to give back to the society what the society has given him.
To other endowed people, Dr. Ortom said, “it is not just enough to blame the youth on the street, but it would be better that we that God has endowed have one way or the other to contribute to the future of the youth. This is one way of supporting government”.
In his remark, Commissioner for Education, Dr. Frederick Ikyaan, represented by Dooshima Anho, applauded the initiative of the founder of the polytechnic and promised the collaboration of the Ministry with the institution to improve the lots of Benue youths.
On his part, the Managing Director of Oracle Conglomerate of which ICTM is a subsidiary, Engr. Chris Omiyi described Ortom as not just the founder of the institution but a rare gift to Benue State and Nigeria at large.
The MD assured the matriculating students and the school management of a conducive environment to achieve the desire of the founder.
Welcoming the matriculating students, the Rector of the school, Dr. Simon Mhen Iorbee charged them to put their heads down, focus on their studies and make their families and the school proud.
He commended the vision of the Visitor of the institution and enjoined all well-meaning people of the state to put all hands on the plough with the former governor to improve the lives of the youth.
Similarly, Chairman of the Governing Council of the school, Prof. Solomon Agishi said the facilities in the polytechnic were of the highest standards, and urged the students of the college to take advantage of the opportunity availed them and become useful to the society after graduation.
Presenting the matriculating students earlier, the Registrar of the polytechnic, Nick Urube Ola explained that the institution attached much importance to skills acquisition, saying students of the school must acquire extra certificate in skills acquisition before graduating from the school.
In an interview on the quality of facilities and teaching in the school, the Head of Department of Electrical/Electronics, Engr. Sunday Olom Iji said the polytechnic was blessed with all the necessary facilities to give the students the desired practical training.
One of the students, Elizabeth Ikyegh of the Department of Printing Technology said she was overwhelmed by what she saw in the school, and promised to combine the knowledge she is acquiring in printing with her knowledge of catering to be very useful in the society after graduation.
Similarly, a student of the Department of Electrical/Electronics, Ioryue Aondoaseer said he was happy being in the polytechnic, pointing out that the quality of facilities and lecturers in the school were amazing.
One of the parents, Luka Bende, who expressed joy that his son was among the matriculated students, prayed that his expectations would be met, while another parent, Aza Ayila, expressed hope that the institution, with its state of the art facilities, would impact the students and inspire them to attain greater heights in life.
Other parents, Ralaye Uba, Helen Abuah, Christiana Igoche and James Tsekaa in separate reactions encouraged students to focus on their studies considering the importance of skills education in the society and commended the founder for establishing such institution in the state.
