FG inaugurates internal road in College of Dental Technology, Enugu

The Federal Government, on Thursday, inaugurated and handed over a rehabilitated one-kilometer road to the management of Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu.

Speaking at the occasion, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, described the project as an important and critical intervention to support the education sector.

Fashola, represented by the Federal Controller of Works inEnugu State, Mr Olufemi Oyekanmi, said that the gesture was part of the federal government’s deliberate efforts to improve human condition.

He said that government had successfully intervened in the internal road networks of 46 federal tertiary institutions and handed over 29 of such projects as at 2021.

“We now have another 17 ready to be handed over, while we are currently attending to 30 roads in similar institutions across the country, making a total of 76.

“The gap of our infrastructure needs is steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways and it has reached the schools.

“The students are expressing renewed enthusiasm with regards to attending classes, because some defective roads have been restored to good condition,” he said.

The minister said that the quality of education would be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and learning environment.

Fashola said that lots of work still needed to be done in many sectors of the economy, including education.

“The President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has stepped up to lead the process of getting the work done.

“Although this is a civil work project, it is an investment in education. During the construction, 45 people were employed, thus contributing to the job creation initiative of the government.

“It is hoped that the school will now ensure that this asset is used properly and not abused,” Fashola said.

Earlier, Rector of the institution, Dr John Emaimo, said that the management had, in 2019, reached out to the ministry over the deplorable state of internal roads in the school.

Emaimo commended the federal government for the intervention and requested for more of such projects.

“In as much as infrastructure is critical to the task of knowledge impartation in any institution, we cannot but ask for more of the ministry’s intervention in our college operations.

“We still have one or two roads in this premises that need to be reconstructed and we will be glad if the ministry can again help us to shoulder this responsibility,” he said.

The rector also thanked the ministry for the ongoing installation of street lights in the school campus. (NAN)