Insecurity: FedPoly Bauchi Rector Wants FG To Secure Higher Institutions

• Matriculates 5,181 new students for delayed 2020/21 academic session

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The mounting insecurity situation in the country has made it imperative for the Federal Government to take charge of providing security across all federal tertiary institutions nationwide.

According to the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Arch Sanusi Waziri Gumau, this is given the paucity of funds that the institutions are battling with currently.

Arch Gumau said in light of the enormous security challenges in the country, it has become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for federal tertiary institutions to handle security and cleaning services from their meagre Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Speaking at the 2020/2021 academic session matriculation held on Saturday, where 5,181 were on parade, the Rector said with these services outsourced, the government would do well to be more involved in securing the lives and property of the students, staff, and the institutions.

On the session’s admission, Arch Gumau said the Polytechnic received a total of 8, 604 applications out of which 8,376 were admitted while 5,181 were eventually registered as bonafide students of the school.

The Rector further gave the breakdown of registered new intakes as HND – 1,745; ND – 2,227; Diploma – 1,176 and IJMB – 33, even as he urged the matriculating students to be happy being an integral part of the institution’s family.

Noting that the exercise marks the beginning of their “journey as bonafide students of this prestigious citadel of learning with all rights and privileges”, Arch Gumau said; “It also a happy day for you because as students here, you will start to have a place for self-discovery, in not just your area of study, but also in skills acquisition, through our well-prepared entrepreneurial development centre in conjunction with the various academic departments”.

In congratulating students, the Rector also said; “I owe you a responsibility. I must be quick to tell you that the day is not only about celebrations. It is also a day for solicitude, reflection, and thanksgiving for the opportunity God almighty has provided you of gaining admission into the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.

“I said that because I know, you must know about someone, who has applied for admission into the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi but was not successful, due to one reason or another. This is enough a reason for you to jealously guard your admission and study hard in order not to waste your time and your parents’ hard-earned resources.

“On our side, we are doing everything humanly possible to provide an atmosphere favourable to teaching and learning. Pursuant to that, we are tilting our efforts in the provision of infrastructure in the Polytechnic. The road from HMT junction to Works and Maintenance Department, together with its drainage system has been completed, just like the drainage linking the second gate to the staff quarters “B” and “C” and Civil Engineering Department is being constructed”.

Sanusi Waziri Gumau further assured that; “Things being equal, the road too will follow suit. You would have also noticed that the campus streets are all lit. Just recently, we mounted these lights from the Muhammadu Wabi Library to the School of Business Studies junction. It was an intervention from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing”.

“In our bid to maintain our very enviable place among our peers in the country, the Institution has recently played host to over 100 staff and resource persons from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Kaduna for accreditation, re-accreditation, and resources inspections for the courses run in our various academic departments”, he explained.

He added that; “As we speak, we received communication from the NBTE on the approval for accreditation and re-accreditation of 19 programmes and another approval to commence 10 new ND and HND programmes as follows:

National Diploma Computer Engineering, National Diploma Fisheries Technology, National Diploma Crime Management, National Diploma Cooperative Economics and Management, and National Diploma Taxation”.

Others according to the Rector are Higher National Diploma Science Laboratory Technology (Microbiology), Higher National Diploma Forestry Technology, Higher National Diploma Crop Production Technology, and Higher National Diploma Library and Information Science.

In the area of research and development, which is one of the parameters for grading institutions’ performance, the Institution is doing well saying, “Without mincing words, I am proud to tell you that the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi is the best in the Northeast sub-region. The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro confirmed this when he visited us earlier this year”.

He said another cheering news that greeted the institution this year is the approval to host the North-East Zonal Office of the National Board for Technical Education, saying, “As we speak, the Zonal Director alongside his staff have since arrived and started the work of coordinating the affairs of Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Technical Colleges in the region.”

“I should use this opportunity to inform you that all these achievements we have recorded did not come by accident. They are a product of determination, discipline, and dedication to duty by our crop of competent staff in the various academic and administrative departments”, Arch Gumau said.

“Our reputation for academic excellence and character molding, which we have built for ourselves over time, will not be allowed to be compromised by actions or inactions of anybody, whether they are staff or students, no matter how highly placed they are.

“Recently, you must have heard that the Governing Council and the Academic Board of the Polytechnic had approved the dismissal of two academic staff for sexual harassment and 30 students for examination misconducts and certificate forgery.”

According to him, “These goes to show you that the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi has zero-tolerance for sexual harassment, examination misconduct, certificate forgery and all forms of misdemeanors from staff or students of the Institution.”

He applauded efforts by the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies for assisting the Polytechnic and its host communities to nip in the bud covert and overt security breach attempts around the school.

The matriculating oath was administered to the students by the Polytechnic Lawyer, Barrister Bashir.