By Emmanuel Olorunsola
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Dr. Abubakar Abdul Dzukogi, has started the construction of three projects (buildings) at the sum of about N600 million to provide adequate facilities for conducive teaching and learning in the institution under the 2019/2018/ 2027 sessions’ TETFund projects.
During the foundation laying ceremony on the campus of the institution in Bida, Dr Dzukogi stated that the total cost of the three projects was about N600 million, adding that the projects were expected to be completed within the next six months with their specifications, pointing out that the projects will surely be part of his legacies in the Polytechnic.
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The Rector stated that the projects as awarded include: a one storey building of a lecture theatre comprising eight (8) lecture halls with 200 seating capacity for each hall and to be constructed at the rate of N133m each, which will be completed within 24 weeks duration.
He also explained that among the ongoing projects to be constructed by his administration is the construction of the Central Multi-Purpose Laboratory, which he described as first of its kind in the Polytechnic.
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He added that the idea came from the current ASUP”s National Vice President, whom he said was from the institution, during his (Dr Dzukogi’s) first tenure, explaining, “the project is to cost N172m to construct and to be furnished with N38 million, while it will be completed within 24 weeks duration.”
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Dzukogi also disclosed that a “Computer Based Test (CBT) Centre was to be constructed within the next 6 months with 500 seating capacity at the sum of N201m and will be furnished with N49m making the total sum of the three projects to be N583 million.”
He therefore expressed satisfaction with the approval of TETFund Special Intervention for other projects which may include the construction of students’ hostel accommodation after retiring many others in the last five years of his administration, in the Polytechnic, just as he commended the Federal Government for some of the valuable projects in the institution.
In a brief interactive session with the newsmen, he disclosed that at the moment, only about 40 per cent of the student’s population live on the campus of the institution, while the remaining 60 per cent were living off-campus, a situation, he described, “as not good enough for the Polytechnic.”
He said, “The inadequate hostel accommodation for the entire student population has impacted negatively on the security of lives and property of the students, especially those students who are living off-campus of the Polytechnic.
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“In an attempt to proffer lasting solution to the problems of inadequate hostel accommodation on the campus, the Management of the institution had approached property developers to invest in the provision of hostel accommodation based on Build, Occupy and Transfer arrangement (BOT) and in addition with subsequent TETFund intervention”.
He, however, warned the contractors handling the ongoing projects to be up and doing by ensuring completion of the projects to specifications within the time frame, stressing that the institution’s monitoring team and external supervisors will ensure delivery of the ongoing projects under construction, as this will make it possible for more projects to be attracted to the institution.
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The Rector assured that he would try to offer his best services to the Polytechnic, despite the turbulent period of the past five years of his administration, saying, “I have remained undaunted while I once again call on every critical stakeholder to embrace peace in this institution if meaningful development must be achieved.”
Dzukogi said despite the crisis bedevilling the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, the institution has moved from its former 12th position to 5th in the rankings of the entire 25 Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE).
He reiterated the resolve of his administration to ensure that The Federal Polytechnic, Bida becomes the number One Polytechnic in Nigeria, before the expiration of his second term in office around May 2023, by the grace of God.
“The institution is greater than any individual(s) hence the need for everyone in the Polytechnic to embrace peace and ensure peaceful co-existence with one another, so as to move the institution to greater heights,” Dzukogi said.
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