Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
Worried by the incessant encroachment into the land belonging to the Kogi State Polytechnic, Itakpe, the Visitor of the institution and the state Governor, Yahaya Bello, has ordered the management of the institution to demolish all the illegal structures within the premises with immediate effect.
Governor Bello gave this ordered while speaking at the fourth combined convocation ceremonies at the permanent site in Lokoja at the weekend.
Bello gave the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Salisu Ogbo Usman, the order to demolish every illegal structures found within the campus of the institution, nothing that the land grabbers had earlier been warned. The governor, who scored the rector and his management team very high for various achievements since his appointment to lead the institution, stated that the state government would continue to earmark substantial amount of money for development of education sector of economy in the state.
He commended Usman’s inclusive style of administration, which he attributed to the huge successes and total transformation of the Kogi State Polytechnic in the past four years.
Governor Bello was among the four distinguished personalities that were conferred with Fellowship award of the Kogi State Polytechnic.
Other awardees are Isa Ozi Salami, Jimoh Umoru and Moses Azubike Okezie -Okafor .
Earlier in his opening remarks, Usman lauded the governor for given him enabling environment to work, commending the management team , students and workers of the institution respectively for their mutual cooperation within the period under review.
He told the governor as the visitor of the institution the need to complete the perimeter fencing of the Kogi State Polytechnic to stop further encroachment, stating that the school has been existing before the creation of the state in 1991 and that people are still encroaching into the institution’s land on daily basis which unacceptable.
The rector, who recalled the near collapsed institution his administration inherited some years back and subsequent challenges posed in rebuilding the Kogi State Polytechnic, also reeled off some of the salient achievements apart from the physical infrastructures development in both permanent site and at the School of Engineering in Itakpe.
Usman added that under his leadership as the rector, the management has stamped out the hydra-headed cultism out of the institution.
He noted that the polytechnic, which was ethnically divided, is now a united institution where every students are relating together peacefully.
