Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has described education as the ultimate path to personal liberation and societal transformation, declaring that no society can achieve genuine development without prioritising the shaping of the human mind.
The Governor made the assertion on Friday while delivering an address at the 22nd Convocation Ceremony of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, held at the institution’s main auditorium.
Speaking on the theme “Education as Responsibility,” Governor Otti said education remains “the freedom to become,” stressing that it liberates individuals from superstition and empowers them with the tools of logic, reason, and evidence-based thinking.
“Education sets us free from superstition and ushers us into a new realm where reason and hard facts become the lens from which we interpret events around us,” the Governor said.
“Learning and exposure increase the capacity of individuals to take advantage of opportunities around their environment to achieve important outcomes connected to their life’s mission.”
He maintained that any society aspiring for progress must do so through the “vehicle of education,” which he described as the transformation of minds, character, and outlook to place the community’s growth above narrow self-interest.
According to Otti, science, technology, and visionary leadership thrive only in environments where education has taken deep roots.
“Education points societies to the path of continuous evolution through the wonders of science, the miracle of technology and the excellence of visionary leadership,” he stated.
The Governor joined the management of the Polytechnic in celebrating the graduating students, commending them for their discipline, resilience, and determination throughout their academic journey.
“I know certainly that it was a challenging journey, but through discipline and the strong will to become, you fought and overcame every resistance that attempted to hold you back,” he told the graduands.
Governor Otti congratulated them on being found worthy in character and learning, saying their success represents both personal triumph and a collective step forward for the state.
The convocation ceremony drew attendance from top government functionaries, education stakeholders, parents, and well-wishers, as hundreds of graduating students received diplomas across various managerial and technical disciplines.
