Fed Govt pleads with striking tertiary institutions workers

The Federal Government yesterday urged the striking workers in the various tertiary institutions to be patient, saying efforts were ongoing to address their demands.

Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu made the appeal yesterday at the 10th convocation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State.

Adamu, who was represented by Director, Tertiary Education in the ministry, Joel Ojo, said progress and development were usually scarce where there is no peace.

He said: “Peaceful coexistence is very important in our educational institutions because effective learning can only take place in a peaceful environment.”

The minister hailed management, staff and students of the polytechnic for sustaining a peaceful academic environment.

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Also speaking, the institution’s rector, Dr. Lateef Olatunji, said the 2017/2018 set produced 2,352 Higher National Diploma (HND) graduands, 796 full time and 1,767 part time graduands in the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) category.

The rector announced that the institution has begun Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programmes in affiliation with the Federal University of Technology, Minna.

He said large most courses offered in the polytechnic were accredited by NBTE.

Olatunji also urged the graduates to tap from abundant entrepreneurial skills gained in the polytechnic to launch themselves into self-employment.

He added that it would be to their advantage, to complement government’s policies towards taking the country away from mono-economy.

Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Chief Oseloka Zikora, said the school is set to develop Skills and Entrepreneurship Centre for graduate and undergraduate youths, including those who could not benefit from formal education.

He said areas of focus include technical and vocational trades, such as automotive mechanic and mechatronics, ICT/electrical installations, bricklaying/masonry, plumbing works etc.

The chairman, who said that a substantial fund was required to take the polytechnic to the desired greater heights, therefore, solicited intervention from financial and corporate institutions, development partners, alumni association and NGOs.