Kaduna Polytechnic is one among the few polytechnics in Nigeria and by extension, in Africa that can compete with many universities both in and around the country in terms of its contribution to the academic knowledge towards building stronger and better citizenry for the society to guarantee uplifting of the society in the direction of development.
Therefore, both the teaching and nonteaching staff of the polytechnic should be applauded for their contribution to the attainment of the polytechnic that necessitated its good name.
However, there some problems in the polytechnic that may destroy its hard end reputation if not quickly addressed by the concerned authorities.
It is very unfortunate that students of the polytechnic in question are currently facing issues that are distracting them from their academic activities and that is very bad because it will make students perform poor and their poor performances can reduce the credibility of the polytechnic. Note that the academic performances of the students in the polytechnic have contributed immensely in rating the polytechnic high and making it giant.
At this point, it is imperative to ask why students pay their school fees at when due but don’t have power supply in their hostels at when due to enable them read their books? Despite that, the supply of water in the school has not been regular and it is also affecting the students negatively. Because of the prolonged problems of water scarcity and unavailability of electricity in the school, students recently went on protest and thereafter, action was taken speedily to restore power and supply water in the school.
Nevertheless, looking at the students protest and the quick action of the management that brought in water and electricity for students, does that means students have to protest before their problems will be solved? Does that means students should always protest before the school authority can do the needful? Does that means protest is the only language students should be using to communicate their problems to the school authority?
Another issue is the delay in the production of students’ Identity cards. Many students of the polytechnic have already graduated without identity cards to show that they were students of the polytechnic. Even when these students were still in the school, they were not having identity cards as their means of identification. While going up and doing in town, many of these students were severally trapped and harassed by the policemen, men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps and vigilante members for failing to show their identity cards but claiming to be students. Was that their fault?
Aside that, many hostels in school have their toilets filled-up and blocked but the authorities of the polytechnic are not doing anything about it. For that, students always find it difficult to ease themselves when they want to.
Let me at this point appeal to the new leadership of the polytechnic to look into the above listed issues and address them before it is too late. I would also like to advise the new rector to ensure the provision of more accommodations for students thereby building additional hostels in other branches of the polytechnic, most especially its branch at Sabo Tasha, popularly known as CASSS, so that the movement of students from the main campus to Sabo unit of the polytechnic for their lectures can be curtailed.
Awunah Jacob Kwande,
Kaduna
