The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education has given the assurance that, the dichotomy between Degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) in status and employment in the country will be addressed.
Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Fuad Kayode Laguda gave the assurance during an oversight engagement with the Rectors of Federal Polytechnic Shendam and Federal Polytechnic Wannune at the National Assembly, in Abuja.
He noted that there are a number of proposed Bills to address the various challenges facing Polytechnics in Nigeria which are all aimed at strengthening the institutions to provide the needed professional technical expertise towards the country’s quest for development.
Mr. Laguda informed the Rectors that, the essence of the meeting was to assess their budget performance and identify the challenges facing the institutions and find the way to support them to run smoothly and serve their intended purposes.
“As we approach the 2025 budget year that’s coming next, we need to actually see to the performance of current year, previous years, to ascertain and to know to what level we will be doing future work, and to also understand what your individual challenges are in your institution and what you will require to move on,” Mr. Laguda said.
In his presentation, the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Nyam-Shendam, Plateau State, Dr Mikaila Zakari Yau, said that the school was still struggling to stay afloat since the creation of the Polytechnic in 2021 which he said kicked off without a temporary site but started from a primary school building in the community.
“We are just giving a bush like this, donated by the state government as a start-up,” Dr Zakari Ya’u said.
He also said that two billion naira was given to the institution by TetFund as take-off grant part of which was used to buy a water tanker because there was no water in the school.
He pointed out that the institution renovated an existing primary school and carried out other projects for the takeoff of the institution.
He however informed the committee that, there was no take-off grant from the federal ministry of education but there has been steady budget with a fair release which enables the institution to execute capital projects and structures needed for learning.
The Committee however frowned at the fact that, the school has only 27 students for three years despite having an academic and non academic strength of 245.
On his part, the Rector, Fedpoly Wannune, Benue State, Dr Tyover Ashinya apologised for what happened about the plan by the Committee to visit the school and the statement credited to him which the found in non complimentary.
He said, the school also started in 2021 and was the last six Polytechnics that were established during the second tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“So when the school came on board, we were given, as usual, there was a take-off grant. And if you go there now, we judiciously use the take-off ground for administrative block, academic block, classrooms, offices.
“We have whatever for a better start of an institution. And if you equally go there, we’ve been able to have students, because when we came on board, we decided that this school, within the vicinity, is going to be a wonderful catchment position for our students. So we have students of almost 1,000, at least,” Dr Ashinya said.
The Bursar and Director of Planning of Federal Polytechnic Wannune reeled out details of the School’s finances as well as projects before the Committee.
However, the Committee observed that, the presentations by the two institutions were both defective.
According to the Committee, there are many details that are required which were not presented like employment, adherence to federal character and others.
Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda directed them to repackage their presentations and were given five working days to re-submit.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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