The Chairman of the House Committee on Polytechnics and other Higher Technical Education, Mr. Fuad Kayode Laguda has expressed commitment to ensuring accountability in the running of the institutions under the purview of the Committee.
He said the polytechnics and other higher institutions that offer technical learning are crucial to the development of the country, explaining that a lawmaker said it was for this reason, that the Committee takes the budget performance of the institutions very seriously.
He stated this while addressing journalists after an oversight function meeting with five Polytechnics from the South East in Abuja explaining that the schools had failed to appear before the Committee earlier last week.
They are; the Federal Polytechnic, Akanu Ibiam; Federal Polytechnic Nekede; Federal Polytechnic Ohodo; Federal Polytechnic Isuochi and Federal Polytechnic Oko.
“Well, I think in recent times I’ve come to terms that a closer look needs to be given to the budget performance of these polytechnic and higher institutions,” he said.
He informed that, despite the fact that, the Committee held some of the oversight at the National Assembly, they will still pay physical visits to the institutions due to some of the budget lines they presented especially expenditures.
He said there was need to verify the things the schools said they had done as some provided picture evidence while others did not.
Mr. Laguda also said, “The ones we were not too convinced about, we’ve already noted them that we’ll be paying physical visits to them to see things ourselves to what is going on there. Of course, we know some of these areas due to the security situation.
“There was a time when one of the schools in the north-west that we were going to, there were also soldiers coming to them.There was an attack on the way.
“So, we hope things get better and we could be able to be there physically.We have five polytechnics in the south-east and they were invited last week for oversight. One of the reasons stated by them was also due to the security situations in their places. Because it was just a day after a day of sit-at-home.
“So, that was one of the reasons they gave for not being here last week, but I think we were able to plan ourselves better. They also tendered their unreserved apology for not being able to make it last week.
“And they were here today. All of them were here with their management team. We had our oversight to a great extent. They were successful.
“We requested from some of them to give us additional information. Technically, three out of the five schools we’ve agreed that would have to pay physical visits to them later.
“By the grace of God, as it is right now, I’m sure by next week, Monday, we will have finished oversight on all the 37 federal polytechnics in Nigeria.
Mr Laguda also added that that there is standard in-house review to do on the reports that has been sent and in the course of doing the oversight.
He adds that there are additional information to be included before the budget so as to marry all the things together, which are almost 80-90%.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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