Owerri — The Imo State Government has concluded arrangements to link the Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri with her counterparts in the United States of America for possible exchange programmes and other areas as would be stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be signed later.

Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Comfort Chinwe Chukwu told THISDAY in her office that her recent trip to the US enabled her to conclude plans on those issues relating to the signing of the MOU over the linkage collaboration of IMSU and those American Universities and Secondary Schools.

"We visited four Universities, namely: Tennessee University, Baptist University, New York State University (NYSU), Georgia University in Atlanta and Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, which is currently being emerged with NYSU, as well three Secondary Schools for discussions on partnership with our State secondary schools. Our interest is in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) transfer and strengthening our education base, especially from the secondary school level, so that our programmes could be comparable in terms of quality, standard and end products", she said.

According to her, the MOUs would be signed as soon as the officials of the institutions visit the state very shortly. The exchange programme with the secondary schools would include visits to the state by students from the United States.

On the current strike action by the four unions of the Imo State University, the Commissioner blamed the unions for taking the government by surprise and not waiting for its response government to their demands.

Chukwu, who expressed government's confidence in ensuring that the right things were done at the right time, stated that Governor Ikedi Ohakim, being the Visitor of the University, reserved the legal power to establish a Visitation Panel to investigate what was happening in the institution.

She said, "The duration should not cause them to go on strike. Going on strike is not going to solve the problem. There should be dialogue at all times. The University belongs to the people of Imo. The strike has not gone down well with me as the Commissioner for Education, and the government as a body".