He made the call recently, while playing host to members of the Governing Council and Management of the Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger State who were at his office in the Government House Minna on a courtesy visit.
According to Governor Bello, “the place of polytechnic education in the scheme of a nation’s development cannot be over-emphasìsed, adding that polytechnics produce graduates who are equipped with technical and technological skills that could drive the nation’s quest for development when the opportunity is given.
This, according to him, were the sets of youths the nation wanted; youths who would be self-employed, not job-seekers, stressing that, it is only through making technical and technological education available to the youths for self-employment that the threat to the nation’s development could be overcome.
Governor Sani Bello therefore called for better handling of the polytechnics by the governments, corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians as he thanked Federal Polytechnic, Bida for giving priority attention to Niger State indigenes in their admission exercise.
He pledged his government’s readiness to with partner the institution in the areas of common interest.
Responding to the polytechnic’s earlier request for a waiver of over #800 million tax debt by the staff of the polytechnic, he said the debt can not be completely waived, but assured the polytechnic that it would be drastically reduced to the barest minimum.
Earlier in his address, the chairman of the polytechnic’s Governing Council, Professor Muhammad Sani Yahaya stated that they were in Government House to congratulate the governor on his achievements in the state and to be formally introduced to him as courtesy demands.
He disclosed that due to the governor’s previous support to the polytechnic and his prioritisation of Agriculture in the state, it has concluded plans to name t its proposed School of Agricultural Engineering complex after him.
The chairman further disclosed that the governor would be invited to lay the foundation of the complex during the forthcoming 15th convocation of the institution proposed for March, 2018.
Professor Yahaya seized the opportunity to seek the assistance of the state government on provision of infrastructural facilities, such as lecture theatres, hostels among others and he also reminded the governor to a redeem the N5 million pledge made by the previous government under the leadership of Dr Mauzu Babangida Aliyu to the polytechnic, during the 2014 Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA), which was hosted by the polytechnic.
and then