By Precious Oluwole

Ondo State House of Assembly has said that technical and scientific content of Polytechnic education and practical use of acquired knowledge would fastrack socio- economic development in Nigeria.

The House Committee on Tertiary institutions led by its Chairman ,Chris Ayebusiwa stated this during a visit to the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic ,Owo (RUGIPO).

Represented by the Vice Chairman of the Committee,Dr Christopher Ogunlana, the Chairman informed that the oversight function became imperative to look at the Institution’s budget performance and requested for the comprehensive report before the next budgetary provisions..

The Committee appreciated the efforts of the Acting Rector and his Management team for their quest towards making the institution a leading one through the recent initiative and innovation, urging them to equally give proper orientation to students on how to be self reliant after graduation.

According to them, technical institutions play a crucial role in providing excellent education and training in all vocational programmes, especially when it comes to practical skills.

Members charged the management to pursue the approval of nursing technology and marine engineering courses to further boost enrollment and the Internally Generated Revenue,IGR.

The Lawmakers while assuring of the 10th Assembly”s support to facilitate the institution in making a difference, they call on ,staff and management to continue to look inward, maintain peace and work as a team to achieve projected goal.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Acting Rector of the institution, Simon Olorunwa Adegun thanked the committee for the visit and support, maintaining that the mandate of the Polytechnic would be achieved.

While highlighting the challenges and some of the achievements recorded ,he said the vision and mission of the institution is to stimulate the spirit of excellence in teaching and research, promotion of creative and innovative thoughts that will stand the test of time.

The Ag. Rector who commended the present government for its intervention in reducing the backlog of thirteen months salary arrears to eight months requested for approval in the next budget to offset the backlog.

According to him, the management have effected innovation in the Institution’s Business Venture to make it fund spinning outfit it was established for saying that the water factory, artisan center,guest house are now functional while the school is now producing security doors, modern flowers and other fabricating tools.

He informed that equipments in the school are now being put into active use and have resolved to take full advantage of the status of the State with the largest coastline in Nigeria by commencing academic programme in Marine Engineering and also Nursing Technology.

Adegun said that the school is preparing for Ondo State diaspora festival to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the eighteen local governments as a way of diversifying from oil.

He explained that data capturing machine to capture and access data of 1977 set of students till date is almost ready.

He therefore stressed the need to abridge the gap of dichotomy of polytechnic graduates.