From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Rector, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Prof. Salisu Usman Ogbo has promised to scale up plans, programmes and strategies that will make the institution a leading brand in the   global competitive educational sector.

He also promised to prioritise and enhance a conducive environment for welfare of staff and students to drive the vision to achieve the objectives for the institution.

Ogbo made the disclosure yesterday in his office in Lokoja when he received members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kogi state council on his elevation to the rank of full professor, renewal of his appointment and the demise of his brother.

He explained that on assumption of office on April, 2020, he hit the ground running by initiating strategies to tackle the hydra headed challenges that have impeded the growth of the institution, and ensured that both human and material resources were adequately mobilised for the task.

According to him, the school was faced with high level cultism; general insecurity on the campuses, nonfunctional hostels, compulsory sales of handouts and  text books; low morale of lecturers and students and inadequate infrastructures which hitherto affected  the delivery of quality education.

He said he has to set the ball rolling by inaugurating different committees and giving matching orders to rescue the institution from further decay and restore the lost glory to the intent and purpose of the founding fathers.

He added that to achieve these laudable objectives, toes of some deviants must be stepped on while those who buy into the new thinking would be supported for optimal performance.

He disclosed that the reforms, with his close monitoring, have brought transformations in terms of physical projects donning the entire landscape of the campuses and restoration of confidence on academic outputs of the institution.

According to Professor Ogbo, before he came onboard, the institution was regarded as a mere glorified secondary school with the certificates considered to be worthless by some employers and citizenry.

He added that for over five years, the schools have had no functional hostels which made both male and female students to cohabit outside the campus with its attendant economic and social dislocations.

He said with the express approval of the government and the council, a bank loan was obtained through direct labour, using lecturers in built departments and Management staff to drive the project with successful completion of the projects in record time.

Speaking further, he noted that the vexed issue of sales of handouts and text books which has been negatively affecting indigent’s students was banned and criminalised with some deviant’s members of staff being   sanctioned.

He added that the institution was notorious for cultist and cultism activities which had portrayed the school in bad light , hence, he had to step up security architecture around the campuses through regular review of strategies which  paid off with the institution now free from the monster.

According to him, it had been problematic for the polytechnic community during examination periods as cultists would brazenly attack students and perceived enemies, saying, the security architecture has been proactive in arresting the menace, restoring sanity to the institution.

On the quality assurance of programmes run by the school, he disclosed that 30 programs were presented to the National Board for Technical Education NBTE and all were returned with full Accreditation.

He said he was able to conduct a combined convocation that spanned from 2010 to 2023; a feat he alluded to the confidence, the former Governor and the Council reposed on the management.

He said to get value for money, he compelled contractors handling TETFUND projects in the school to comply with specification in the bill of quantity or face sanctions, given rise to timely completion of all tetfund projects, while he recalled some contractors back to site after over sixteen years of abandonment.

Ogbo , however, assured lecturers, staff and students of his commitment to improve the working conditions, welfare and well-being, and called on the stakeholders to work in synergy to increase internally generated revenue.

He commended the former Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for giving him opportunity to serve despite mounting oppositions, and thanked incumbent Governor Ododo for maximum support for the school which has transformed the institution to a citadel of learning.

He expressed his gratitude to his former employer Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba for the conferment of Associate Professor and Federal University Lokoja,for the confirmation of full professorship on him.

While thanking the Correspondents members for the visit, noted that their constant appraisal of his administration has kept him on his toes, assuring continued collaboration for upliftment of the society.