Strike: FG appeals to lecturers, pledges to meet demands

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has appealed to the striking members of various staff unions in all higher institutions across the country to be patient with the government on the lingering strike action, saying that the strike would soon be called off.

Speaking on the sideline of the 10th convocation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State on Thursday, where a total of 2,563 HND and OND students of 2017/2018 set graduated, the minister said that efforts were ongoing to address their demands.

The minister, who said that progress and development are usually scarce where there is no peace, added that peace and tranquility are the fertilizers that keep the seed of development growing.

“Peaceful coexistence is very important in our educational institutions because effective learning can only take place in a peaceful environment,” he said, commended management, staffs and students of the polytechnic for sustaining a peaceful academic environment,” he said.

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Also speaking, the rector of the institution, Dr. Lateef Olatunji, said that the 2017/2018 set produced 2,352 HND graduates including 796 full time students and 1,767 part time students in the OND category.

The rector, who announced that the institution has commenced Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programmes in affiliation with the Federal University of Technology, Minna, said that large number of courses offered in the polytechnic were accredited by NBTE.

Dr. Olatunji also urged the graduates to tap from abundant entrepreneurial skills gained in the polytechnic to launch themselves into self employment, saying that it would be to their advantage and complement government policies towards taking the country away from mono-economy.

In his speech at the programme, the chairman, governing council of the institution, Chief Oseloka Zikora, said that the school is set to develop Skills and Entrepreneurship Centre to skill up graduate and undergraduate youths, including those who could not benefit from formal education.

He said areas of focus include technical and vocational trades, such as automotive mechanic and mechatronics, ICT/electrical installations, bricklaying/masonry, plumbing works etc.

The chairman, who said that a substantial fund was required to take the polytechnic to greater heights desired, therefore, solicited intervention from financial and corporate institutions, development partners, alumni association and NGOs.