By Kayode
The management of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin on Wednesday appealed to the state government to assist in stopping the menace of selling the institution’s land by land grabbers.
The appeal was made by the rector of the institution, Engr. Dr. Abdul Jimoh Muhammed during a press conference organised as part of the institution’s 29th convocation ceremony for Awards of National Diploma and Higher National Diploma held at the Polytechnic conference room.
“Entrance through the main gate of the polytechnic presents a worrisome sight with unauthorised structures emerging on both sides of the road. The presence of these illegal structures pose a great challenge to the security of the institution.”
“The management, though appreciates the state government effort but we wish to appeal to the government to do more to stop the menace of selling the public properties,” he said.
He said the polytechnic was investing a huge amount of money in partnering with various security agencies in the area of provision of security as a result of the menace.
He however appealed to the government, the Alumni Association of the institution, and philanthropists to come to the aid of the institution by constructing a fence around the Polytechnic campus.
He highlighted the convocation activities to include: the lecture to be delivered by Engr. Dr. Taofeeq AbdulHameed, Pioneer Rector of The Federal Polytechnic Ayede, Oyo State, Nigeria. Presentation of prizes to outstanding students and commissioning of projects.
He gave the total number of graduating students to be 8,350 with HND 3,000, ND 5,350 including part-time, and 102 graduated with distinction and upper credit.
The rector also listed some of his administration achievements to includes: the 33KV project that ensured regular power supply to campus up to Apata-Yakuba, Oyun, Oke-Oyi, and Oke-Ose communities in Moro and Ilorin East local government areas.
Similarly, he listed other achievements to include renovation of old IOT lecture halls, renovation of laboratories/workshops, and offices, 2.5 km reinforced concrete drainage, and remodeling of library and information science department.
He also decries the problem of funding, saying it required quite a huge amount of money, running into millions of Naira is needed each time the institution faces accreditation or re-accrediation of its academic programmes as well as in rehabilitation of the obsolete structure of the Polytechnic.
