By Rotimi Ojomoyela
Ado-Ekiti
Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Mrs Theresa Akande, has expressed worry over the “poor funding of Nigerian polytechnics,” saying that the development had contributed to incessant industrial actions in public educational institutions in the country.
Akande, who said the situation had affected the quality of tertiary education in the country, added that the trend would continue to affect the fortunes of education “unless government at all cadres takes the appropriate actions.”
He made the submission in Ado Ekiti at the weekend while administering oath on 2,864 fresh students at a matriculation ceremony held in the institution for the 2013/2014 academic session.
Lamenting the absence of some basic infrastructure, such as electricity, water and other critical facility that could aid research work at her institution, she specifically called for improved funding of the nation’s polytechnics.
Mrs Akande, who decried the rampancy of willful damage to the facilities of the polytechnic by students, threatened to henceforth expel any student found guilty of willful damage of facilities in the institution.
She said the institution had been expending several millions of naira in putting the utilities back to their normal status, adding that “we can no longer fold our arms when the foundation of the welfare of our students are being threatened by students themselves.”
“It is our belief that academic freedom in higher institutions does not translate to lawlessness. It is, therefore, imperative that occupants of such hostels where cases of willful damage are not reported to the management would, henceforth, be held responsible for any damage.”
