So, I am here to say "thank you" to the staff of this University for the role they played to keep the University open during the months of strike. I am here to acknowledge them and say our Government really appreciates.

Whatever shortcomings we may have are shortcomings we cannot readily help because indeed we mean well. We come to work everyday ready to give it a hundred per cent. We truly mean well. So on behalf of the Government and people of Enugu State, I say "thank you".

I am also here to pay respects and exchange felicitations with the great students of ESUT who have contributed in many ways to the amelioration of the scourge of cultism. I have no doubt that cultism has greatly reduced in ESUT. In addition to that, the problem of students' unrest has been minimized in this University compared to many other Universities. So I am here on behalf of the government and people of Enugu State to thank the great students of ESUT.

Having said that, I thank all the Deans of various Education faculties for selecting Enugu to host this conference and more importantly for providing the opportunity for the Dean of Faculty of our State University to organize the event.

We have for the past 4 years tried to articulate our vision for education because they say young men dream dreams and the elders see visions. We have tried to see a meeting point between that synergy of our dreams and our visions.

We have tried to provide education, free qualitative up to J.S. 3. We've tried to divide our State into school district systems so that group of schools belong to a school district realising that we cannot provide library, modem Science labs to all the schools. So, we embarked on the building of school districts centers: one at Queens school, one at Awgu, one at Nsukka and one at Agbani hoping that the 4 school district centers when completed will have libraries, modem science labs, computer centers, clinics gymnasiums, Buses and other facilities so that schools within the school district will share these facilities.

In partnership with the DFID & USAID we've also tried to put up a Resource centre that will provide the window to current globalization and provide interact facilities for our students. Today gives me a remarkable opportunity to make clear statements on the future of this University. By the grace of God, the Government of Enugu State, which I have, the privilege of heading will within the next 40 months, 40 months, provide a permanent facility for ESUT. It is a project that will start this month, a project that will have boarding facilities, hostel accommodation for a minimum of 15,000 students, that will have staff quarters for junior, medium and senior cadres, that will have a minimum of 15 Faculty buildings each having its independent facilities. It will have Administrative block, stadium and requisite sporting facilities. It will have a library, an auditorium. It will also have a University Guest House or University Hotel. It will also have the most modem student activity centre in Nigeria. So the students Union will have their full-fledged facility.

This complex by the grace of God will be signed and delivered in 40 months. At least it is also in my interest to make sure that the students and staff moves in there completely well ahead of the end of my second tenure.

Starting this month also, the Government and people of Enugu State will start a brand new college of medicine and Teaching Hospital signed and delivered in 12 months. So, by the grace of God, I want to go on record that in six months, the Pre-clinical Department will be functional with adequate accreditation within six months, and by the end of 2005, the Teaching Hospital will be fully functional, signed and delivered.

A few days ago, going through my E-mail I got a letter from a student wanting to find out when the University is going to hold its convocation so that he will collect his certificate. So, I challenge this University to hold its convocation. And holding convocation is not just for faculties it is also for the students to provide a conducive environment where such convocation should take place. I believe that just like other Universities have their own convocation, the students of ESUT will see some pride in attending convocation.

The fear has always been that students take periods of convocation to cause confusion and problems to faculties. So I see it as a challenge to the Students Union Government, to the various departmental Associations to work in concert with the University Administration to see if you can have at least one convocation in 5 years.

Having said that, I thank all of you for sparing time to be with us this afternoon. For those who have traveled a long way to be with us we hope they are going to enjoy the rare hospitality associated with our people and that God will provide them journey mercies as they proceed back to their various homes and may we continue to say to God be the Glory