Chairman, Governing Council of the Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo,
Mr. Chinedu Onuh, has appealed to Enugu State Government to assist the institution recover parts of the land earlier allocated to the institution and later taken back by the host community. He also appealed to the state government to support the institution with farming equipment and other needs.
Onuh made the call on Friday, when the council members paid a courtesy on Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi , who was represented by the deputy governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo in Government House, Enugu
He said that a bulldozer belonging to the institution was set ablaze in their Ogodoma farm by people of Oha, in Ezeagu local government area of the state.
” Initially, the community gave us close to 350 hectares land for the permanent site. A few days later, they reduced it.
” But for the purpose of expansion as the institution is growing in strength, we need government intervention, ” he said.
Onu explained that the institution was a College of Education before and was limited in farming compare to its present status of a Polytechnic which has its own method of farming.
” Our host communities no longer allow us to do agricultural activities, ” he lamented.
The board chairman appreciated the state government for its maximum support to the institution, saying that the council under his leadership met the campus as a glorified secondary school and that the council had through the state government’s support, changed the narrative.
” Let me announce to you that all the programmes of the Polytechnic have been accredited by the National Body of Polytechnics of Education.
” Also, we have not recorded any single case of cultism in the institution, ” Onuh said.
Responding, Mrs Ezeilo thanked the Council members for the visit.
She said that the state government has been promoting educational programmes in the state, adding that : “Besides the enactment and updating of various laws that have re-engineered and strengthened key institutions in the sector and refocused them and the entire sector for it’s essential development orientation, the government has also taken steps that resulted in getting all hands to be on deck towards the goal of achieving qualitative, inclusive, functional and relevant education for the people of the state.
“Government has also undertaken major infrastructural development and expansion works in it’s higher educational institutions of which your ESPoly is a major beneficiary.
” To further demonstrate the importance that Government attached to education, it has on occasions in the recent past made substantial appropriation to education inorder to adequately fund such schemes as it’s scholarships for some Enugu State students studying abroad, the basic schools furnishing and rehabilitation programme and the scholarships for some engineering and technology students studying in our local Universities and Polytechnics as well as actively driving the full accreditation of the programmes of the State government owned higher institutions, she said.
The Deputy Governor expressed optimism that the dream of the founding fathers of the institution, will be upheld, saying ” It is my sincere hope that all members of your distinguished team would work very assiduously to achieve and sustain this dream by aiming at making ESPoly one of the top ranked institutions amongst it’s Nigerian African and world peers.”
She assured the Council members of the state government’s continuous support to the institution.
