By Jethro Ibileke
The former two-time governor of the old Mid Western Region/Bendel state, Samuel Ogbemudia, was a man of many firsts. He pioneered the establishment of many laudable projects across the entire country. One of them was the Institute of Continuing Education, ICE.
According to the former military General, the ICE was conceived when he heard of a very brilliant girl who had to drop out of secondary school after she got pregnant. He related further that the determination of the girl to complete her secondary education moved him to inquire what could be done to help her realize her dream.
He had related in an interview with our correspondent many years ago: “I wondered why being pregnant should have terminated the girl’s dream of completing her education. I inquired from a professor of education what could be done to help her because she was very intelligent and promising. The professor told me that an institute of continuing education, a form of remedial study center, could be set up to care for the need of people like that and other civil servants who desire to improve their education. That was how we set up the ICE, at where you know as ICE Road today, in Benin.”
True to his dream, the ICE has rescued many, including youths and civil servants who were eager to attain requirements for admissions into universities and other institutions of higher learning, but could not obtain their O’level certificates from their conventional secondary schools before gaining admission into higher institutions.
Among the beneficiaries of the remedial education they received at the ICE are many prominent Nigerians, including the incumbent Governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki. Following his failure to acquire the relevant papers at Eghosa Grammar School, Benin, to enable him secure admission into higher institution of his choice, Obaseki had to enroll at the ICE to make up the shortfall. Ironically, however, the center is now a shadow of its old self, now a forest and a hideout for hoodlums operating in the ‘Five Junction/Wire Road axis, under the watch of one of its prominent beneficiaries.
When Obaseki decided to establish the Edo Innovation Hub withig the vast premises of ICE, hope was high that the remedial center which had been abandoned by successive administrations, would benefit from the huge fund allocated for the Hub. But, alas! the center is fast turning to a forest, overgrown with bushes. How disappointing! Obaseki of all persons, who benefitted from the center has closed the institution for the past five years. By implication, the fate of thousands of Edo Youths who would have taken advantage of the remedial facility like Obaseki did when he could not pass his WASC in 1973, at a go has also been sealed.
The continued closure of the institute has also sealed opportunity for higher education provided by the single most important bridge that ferried many from the valley of nonentities to great achievers in their various fields of endeavor. There is no gain saying that history will be unkind to Obaseki if he stands by and watches the deterioration of ICE.
But, the good news is that, there is still time for the Wake-and-see Governor to salvage the ICE. Obaseki has performed wonders in revamping many of the abandoned projects conceived by the late Samuel Ogbemudia, including the secretariat buildings along Sapele road in Benin, the College of Education, Abudu and the College of Agriculture, Ighuoriaki. We are waiting to see him perform the same magic he performed in those places at the Institute of Continuing Education, (ICE), his Alma mater.