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The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education has assured that it will address the dichotomy between Degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) in status and employment.
The Chairman of the Committee, Fuad Laguda gave this assurance during an interactive session with the rectors of Federal Polytechnic Shendam, Plateau state and Federal Polytechnic Wannune, Benue at the National Assembly.
He said there were a couple of bills to address the various challenges facing polytechnics in the country, which are all aimed at strengthening.
He informed that the essence of the meeting was to assess their budget performance and know 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”.
In his presentation, the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Nyam-Shendam, Dr Mikaila Zakari Yau, said, they are 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.
He said, “We are just giving a bush like this, donated by the state government as a start-up*.
Dr Zakari Ya’u said N2 billion was given to them by TetFund as take-off grant, part of which was used to buy a water tanker because there is no water in the school, renovated the existing primary school and carryout other projects for the takeoff of the institution.
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.
Making his presentation, the rector, Federal Polytechnic 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 they found uncomplimentary.
He said, the school also started in 2021 and was the last six polytechnics established during the second tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, “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 grant 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”.
Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda directed them to repackage their presentations and were given five working days to re-submit.
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