You were recently appointed as the rector of Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic. Can you tell us about yourself and how you felt when you were appointed?
Though I was appointed recently, I have been in the Polytechnic for over 37 years. I got appointed into the service in December 1986 as a non-teaching staff. I became an agricultural superintendent and I rose through the ranks up to principal superintendent. Later, I converted to instructor cadre and I reached chief instructor in 2005.
I later converted to a lecturer cadre, having acquired the necessary qualifications and became the chief lecturer in January 2012. Part of the condition to become a rector in the polytechnic is that you must be a chief lecturer for at least 5 years. I am 11 years now as chief lecturer.
Again, one must have some publications and at least a Master’s Degree and you can’t be a chief lecturer without having a Master’s Degree. Also, one must have to pass all the relevant qualifications.
In fact, I have 29 years of teaching and 8 years of non-teaching, making it 37 years in service. I know the polytechnic vertically and horizontally, spending all my life in the system. This is because I have an interest to serve in the polytechnic, that is why I have not moved somewhere else.
There are so many opportunities that came for me to leave but I refused because what interested me most was to remain in the system. I did my national diploma here and when I came to collect my result, that was when the school showed interest to engage me. And with that, I developed an interest to serve the school.
What strategy do you have to transform the institution?
Apart from this, I came with a vision. First, I will try to see that I expand the programmes being run here. Even though we have our developmental plan for every 10 years, within my tenure, I will see to expanding the programmes including the department.
Equally, I would like to strengthen the internet connectivity around the school. With the current internet connection in the polytechnic, I will make sure it is increased above the 20mw the school currently has.
I want to see that the whole school is fully connected with internet service that will help in sharing knowledge and experience with the international community.
I also want to restore discipline, not being harsh to the staff, but at least everybody should work as scheduled and follow the procedure of doing what is right at the right time. At times you will find out that a lecturer, because of flexibility, will reschedule his lecture time to Saturday. I don’t like that.
Saturday and Sunday are weekends for students to engage themselves in extracurricular activities. I don’t like the lecturer failing to do his work at the right time, and then rescheduling or fixing extra classes for students.
This discipline is what I want to restore and it would be taken at all levels of leadership; from the head of departments, directors and others.
I would like to equally increase the IGR of the school so that we will stop depending solely on the government for allocation. Because we have talented, skilled and professional staff, we want to create an avenue that will help us engage them in different trades. We have the facilities. We will explore them effectively and also train others outside the school.
Apart from the normal lectures that staff handle, we will also assess and extract talents by asking to know what the lecturers would do that would be of help to the outside community or to produce something tangible and benedicial. For example, we have welding and fabrication, hair-making, shoe-making, soap-making and what have you. So, we want to be engaging and be of service to the community.
Since the polytechnic is technology-based meant for innovation, I want to reach out to other people so that products can be gotten from the polytechnic. What I mean here is that we can compete with any company.
For example, in shoe-making, we want to see that people are trained in the making and producing of shoes so that when we sell the product, we can compete with outsiders such that people would say, ‘this shoe is being produced at the Hassan Usman Polytechnic’ and people will come to partner with us.
It is something that will bring revenue and at the same time remunerate the staff so that their morale is boosted to continue to do the job. The essence of the polytechnic is to produce manpower especially technicians and technologists as well as to undertake research and community services.
Equally, they should be innovative so that it will benefit society for the general uplifting of the state.
In many countries like China and Korea, this is how they started. It is not only degree holders that make innovations; it started like this at the lower level and then some experts like degree holders are brought in to fabricate things and engineers will now come in. But normally, ideas are conceptualised by people you think are less important.
It is just like you taking your car to the roadside mechanic and he will inspect the car and tell you the problem, but he has never been to school.
Equally, within my vision, I want to see improvement in the general green environment of the area. By this I mean the landscape of the area is improved so that we will have more trees and vegetation. You know, man always associates with plants.
Plants clear the atmosphere and give oxygen. You know as we breathe, we bring out carbon dioxide which is being captured by the green plant to manufacture food. By doing so, it reduces the content of carbon dioxide, and that will relatively cool down the atmosphere. That is why I want to see that the environment is greener.
Besides that, it is part of my plan to ensure prudence in managing finances because we cannot just allow anyhow expenses.
How do you want to be remembered when you leave office?
After my tenure I want to be remembered as someone who has dedicated his life to the progress of the institution. Also, within the 5 years, I hope what I mentioned as my vision will be fulfilled. So, I will be remembered as a humble teacher of the school who spent his time seeing the progress of the polytechnic which will in turn be for the betterment of the society, state and the country at large.
What will be your message to the new government of Mallam Umar Dikko Radda?
The governor, Dr Umar Dikko Radda is an academician and a banker. He is somebody that worked at the Small and Medium Scale Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) where jobs are being created.
He started as an academician because there was a time he worked with us in our department for a while. At that time, he partnered with us as a part-time lecturer while he was a banker. Not too long ago, he was proud to have lectured here. Even before then, he had gone through the College of Education and become a teacher. He for sure knows the route of education and I don’t think we will have any problem with him on board.
He was also a banker and later became a politician. He has also performed well in Charanchi local government area. That was when the former president, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua saw the potential in him and brought him to the political space.
So, he has the prerequisite potential to harness resources to uplift the state. I don’t think we will have a problem with him when it comes to vocational education because he values them. Even during his campaign, he said education will be his priority. I do not doubt him.
I want him to consider leadership as a service to humanity. If you are a leader, remember you have tenure and one day you will leave. He should try within the period given to him to do what is best for humanity. I’m sure and many people are confident that Dr Dikko Radda will perform.
What pleased me is that, the outgone Governor Aminu Bello Masari even prayed for the governor to perform better than himself. You know the ordinary person would not like to say this kind of prayer but he did that. We also pray for him to perform.
The message is that he should be fair and trustworthy, take the public fund as a trust and work judiciously for the betterment of the state. And I wish them all success in their endeavours
What will be your message to the students and staff of the polytechnic?
My message to students is for them to know that they are here to study and that their parents paid money for their studies. So, they should use the opportunity to study well. They are here not to show-off or waste time on the internet on things that are not relevant to their studies. Once they know what brought them to school and compose themselves, they will be able to achieve their aim of completing their studies.
As we do say, institutions award certificates based on character and learning. So, one should not engage in cultism and other social vices but concentrate to justify why their parents sent them to the school
For the staff, they should consider the students as their children, and if they do that, they will not be able to extort money from them or abuse them. They should nurture and counsel them; give them the right teaching so that they can be better for the society.
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