Uzodimma Promises to Take Action on Visitation Panel Recommendation on Imo State Polytechnic

By Our correspondent

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has received the report of the Visitation Panel on Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, promising to take action on the recommendations of the Panel.

Receiving the report at the Sam Mbakwe EXCO Chambers, Government House, Owerri on Tuesday, the Governor commended the members of the Panel for taking their time to observe and come out with findings that will enable the Institution run effectively.

He said government will take action on all they have recommended so as to lift the educational sector of the state to greater height and boost the internally generated revenue.

Earlier, Chairman of the Visitation Panel, Prof. Eugene Opara thanked the state Government for giving them the opportunity to serve, noting that the assignment has opened their eyes to the anomalies that exist in the state institutions of higher learning.

Prof. Opara urged the state government to look critically into their observations, particularly in the areas of payment of tuition fees by students as against the current non- payment of tuition fees. This, they insisted, is necessary because of lack of infrastructure that has resulted in the abysmal drop in the number of prospective students seeking admission into the institution.

The report frowned at the duplication of courses in the three campuses of the institution, which the members said runs contrary to rules and regulations guiding operations of higher institutions. “It blots the staff strength of the school making it a mockery, where lecturers are greater in number than students.”

Highlighting the issue of cultism, the Panel admitted that a lot of work had been done in that area, but recommended the need for more efforts to totally eradicate the ugly vice.

Another sordid issue the Panel identified is the interference of community in the day-to-day administration and management of the college. The Panel painted a graphic but ugly picture of how the host community prevented the College Senate from sitting in its Chambers for a meeting because they barricaded the venue.

The Panel, however, passionately requested government to look into the increase of the College subvention to enable it meet up with the financial demands of the institution considering the fact that the population is too low for reasonable internally generated revenue.

Prorof. Opara regretted the fact that the College had the last accreditation visit from NBTE in 2016, which has affected the school’s accreditation to a very bad level as many courses have remained non accredited for years running. The Panel requested government to provide the necessary facilities needed for the Institution’s accreditation.

Present at the submission were the Deputy Governor, Prof. Placid Njoku; the Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins, his deputy, Rt. Hon. Amara Iwuanyanwu; and the members of the Expanded State EXCO.