…As Top Officials of School Management Hold Meeting
The rector of Abia State Polytechnic Professor Okorie Kalu Osonwa has expressed confidence in the growth of the esteemed citadel of learning through its 17 years of existence and promises to work assiduously to advance the growth and development of the institution.
Prof Osonwa made this known at a press briefing held at the School’s Conference Hall on April 1st 2022.
He emphasized the passion and commitment of the management and staff of Abia State Polytechnic to enhancing knowledge and producing sound graduates capable of meeting the technological needs of the state and the nation.
The Rector used the opportunity to warn members of the public not to engage in mudslinging and rumour-mongering that will discredit the name of the institution.
Prof Osonwa, while appreciating Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for assuming full responsibility for the state-owned polytechnic, highlighted the programmes the administration has put in place to tackle salaries and welfare challenges of the staff.
“…the Institution pay salaries of workers with Internally Generated Revenue and subvention given to the Institution by the State Government.”
“Abia State Polytechnic is one of Nigeria’s State Polytechnics with the lowest tuition fees. The students pay about N53,150 for tuition per session which can only pay two months’ salary for staff, so to expand revenue base and address the school’s salary challenges, other revenue-generating windows such as a printing press, a microfinance bank, and a bread factory, have been established which will benefit the public and also serve as a fundraising platform for the institution.”
He remarked, “Governor Ikpeazu has been a staunch supporter of me since I came into office in September 2020, even members of management have assisted in various ways to address issues regarding late results, internet accessibility, and making hand-outs and textbooks mandatory, and this has helped to ease the teaching and learning process.”
Prof Osonwa, therefore, urged the public to dismiss false reports that claim the institution employs unqualified staff, surcharges students’ tuition fees and, refuses to discharge their students for Youth Service.
According to him, Abia State polytechnic boasts 99% accreditation for all programmes of which the recently concluded second batch of accreditation from March 22 – 26, 2022 was a huge success as the team was happy with the structures they encountered on ground.
While reminding the public of the school’s admission forms being available, the Rector enjoined the public to maintain high expectations of the institution as it is here to stay.