Alumni Seek More Funding, Equipment For Polytechnics

The national president of the Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti Alumni Association, Dr Oyedokun Abiodun, has called on governments at all levels to invest more in polytechnic education to achieve the country’s desired progress and development.

Abiodun said polytechnics are known for being practical, and governments should make it a duty to provide adequate and modern equipment for effective delivery.

At a press conference in Ado Ekiti at the weekend, the alumni president also decried the havoc a recent rainstorm wreaked on the facilities of their alma mater.

According to him, the damage runs into several millions of naira, but thank God no lives were lost. “The storm was so strong that some buildings were almost pulled down.”

He said that “given this natural disaster, the FPA Alumni Association donated the sum of N5m to the school as her widow’s mite towards the repair of the damage”.

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The association handed over two newly constructed blocks of hostel buildings to the institution in January 2024, and a two-storey hostel project is underway as part of its efforts to solve the students’ accommodation problems.

Dwelling on the need to provide adequate modern equipment for polytechnics so that students can undergo practical training, he said that without such equipment, polytechnic products will not be able to do anything.

While appealing to the governments to increase funding for the institutions’ repositioning, he said,” That is why we are appealing to the Federal and State Governments to look into that.

“If you want to destroy a nation, you don’t need to hold guns; just destroy their educational system first, and you are done.

“Our plea, therefore, is that the government should not allow this to happen to polytechnic education; they should equip the institutions so that they can be more sound, practically.

“We strongly believe that polytechnic products will be self-sufficient, self-reliant. Most of them will not look for white-collar jobs, as our counterparts in other places do. They can always be on their own.

“No crisis since he assumed office. The alumni association is giving him kudos for this, we believe that through him, this institution will move forward.’’