Worried over low level manpower and lack of scientific equipment to match the Rivers State owned Polytechnic Bori, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has threatened to change the institution name to Bori management if they fail to embrace the new educational system.
Speaking as the Guest of Honour at the Rivers State Polytechnic Bori during the 14th-17th convocation ceremony of the institution last Saturday at Bori, Headquarters of Khana LGA, the governor expressed dismay over the scenario at the institution and charged the management of the polytechnic to start afresh if they want to get it right.
According to him, the impact of the school was not felt in the society, hence the need for upgrading, expressing dismay over the inability of the polytechnic graduates to give accurate measurement at the state’s metal plant project, Kira.
The chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) further revealed that, it took the state about four years, of trying to get the said measurement until an expatriate was invited to give the correct measurement it deserved.
The Chief Executive Officer of the state challenged the management of the school to equip the school with the current scientific equipment, assuring that their annual allocation would be increased to meet the new requirement.
Governor Amaechi who frowned at the high number of students admitted into the school warned against over admission of students and demanded to see the list of lecturers and their qualification soon as well as give him information on how to get qualified lecturers within two weeks as to enable the government plan well for them.
Governor Amaechi however assured the management of the institution of ensuring infrastructural and human development within the remaining of two and half year,s administration to meet the yearning and aspirations of the people of Rivers State.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the institution Prof. Augustine Ahiauzu who recalled the establishment of the polytechnic in 1988, noted that the institution had lived up to expectation.
The chairman of the governing council who revealed that his tenure was the 6th governing council of the polytechnic expressed joy at the lofty contributions and achievements earlier councils of the polytechnic made which his administration has endeavoured to consolidate and improve upon, especially in the infrastructural and human capital development, the information of strict discipline among staff and students of the institution.
He noted that the Rivers State government was the main financier of the institution and commended governor Amaechi for the gesture.
Prof. Ahiuzu who noted that there are other development projects which the institution need to pay attention to which his administration has made several efforts to tackle and appealed to private sector companies and government to come to their aid in solving the problems.
Also in his speech the Rector of the institution Obianko Nwolu-Elechi who recalled the announcement of Lt. Colonel Anthony Ukpo the then military governor of Rivers State on the need to establish Rivers State Polytechnic at a convocation ceremony of RSUST Port Harcourt some years ago which has manifested, describing Rivers State Polytechnic as one of the institutions established to fill the vacuum of the technical institutions. He noted that the polytechnic was established to develop a culture, fabrication of local tools and machinery parts and train technicians and artisans who can undertake immediate repairs of automobiles, carry out electrical installations, expressing sadness that the level of manpower the state produces for the running of all the establishment that abound in the state was few.
The Rector who thanked the governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for his support to the institution enumerated some of the challenges facing the institution such as the institution’s continued stay at the old campuses of Regina Careli Teachers Training College and government technical college which made them to squeezed projects here and there for the past twenty three years, as well as funding challenges which made the institution to remain undeveloped, among others appealed to governor Amaechi for support to enable them develop the institution to the level it requires, revealing that 9,000 graduands convocated at the ceremony. ###
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
