Rector of Federal Polytechnic Ilaro,Ogun state,Dr Olusegun Akiko, could not be happier than he was with the joyfully news of the Senate approval of the conversion of the institution to a university.
It will be recalled that the Senate had on Tuesday approved the upgrade of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State to a university of technology.
The development followed the third reading of a bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of Federal University of Technology, Ilaro and other Matters Connected therewith.
In his reaction,Dr Aluko, expressed satisfaction over the development, adding that the nation would benefit immensely from the conversion of the poly to a university.
The piece of legislation was earlier sponsored in the 8th Assembly by Senator Solomon Adeola of the All Progressives Congress representing Lagos West Senatorial District.
The bill could not be passed before the expiration of the 8th Senate and was again presented in the 9th Senate for consideration and passage.
The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Sadiq Sulaiman, presented the report on behalf the chairman of the committee, Senator Ahmad Babba-Kaita.
Babba-Kaita added that the upgrade of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro to a university of technology would be of tremendous benefits for host communities.
“The upgrade of the polytechnic to a federal university will provide a hub for cutting-edge research and learning that would encompass multi-disciplinary approaches, knowledge acquisitions and dissemination,” he said.
SUG president
Adeola, who sponsored the bills, said, “The upgrade of the institution will address the issue of unemployment by providing education with potentials to create jobs by its products as well as boost the economy of the host communities through the usage of technological innovations.”
Speaking further, Rector said the culture of practical training would be infused into theoretical learning, adding that this would lead to producing more employable graduates.
Aluko added, “It will give students trained in the institution another perspective about education because the culture of practical will be infused in to the culture of theories. The nation will benefit more from this because it will now have better products.
“If we could fabricate a COVID-19 ventilator, you can imagine what we will do now that we are a university. The nation will feel the impact; the government should be interested in the outcome of this ‘experiment’ as it will help them to take decision to upgrade others.”
PUNCH.
