Makurdi — The College of Technology and Environmental Studies (COTES), an arm of the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies (NAITES) in Makurdi yesterday matriculated 770 students for the 2012/2013 academic session.

Commandant/provost of the institution, Major General Halilu Aminu in his welcome address at the 8th matriculation ceremony of the college called on the new students to ensure that they create friendship and leave enviable records of performance in the college.

Aminu said the institution aims to become the best technical education school for middle level manpower for the Nigerian Army and the general public in the country considering the vision of its establishment.

According to him, the college programmes are accredited by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) which currently runs 12 courses of study in five different fields at the National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) levels.

The provost, while congratulating the matriculating students urged the federal government to resume TETFund support to enable it execute infrastructural projects since the school has metamorphosed into a full fledged polytechnic.

Special guest of honour, Governor Gabriel Suswam in his speech at the occasion charged the new students to shun cultism and be of good behaviour so that they can affect their world positively in the nearest future.

The governor who was represented by the Commissioner of Education, Dr. (Mrs) Elizabeth Ugoh also challenged the students to delve into research work that would help solve ecological problems of the nation.