Press Conference addressed by the Rector, Engr. (Dr.) Dayo Hephzibah Oladebeye in respect of the 17th Combined Convocation of the Institution held on Friday, 2nd August

THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, ADO-EKITI

Text of a Press Conference addressed by the Rector,

Engr. (Dr.) Dayo Hephzibah Oladebeye in respect of the

17th Combined Convocation of the Institution

held on Friday, 2nd August, 2019.

Protocols,

Gentlemen of the Press

The Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti was legally established by Decree 33 of 1979, it was however first founded as a College of Technology in Jos, Plateau State in January, 1977 and later in 1978 moved to Akure, Ondo State by the then Federal Military Government.  

By 1982, the then Federal Government relocated the Polytechnic to Ado-Ekiti as the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti.

The movement to Ado-Ekiti, which started in earnest following the directive was concluded in 1986 and since then, the Polytechnic, otherwise known as the “Nation’s number one entrepreneurial Polytechnic” has gained ground and moved from heights to height, producing giants in the nation’s educational, technological and human diaspora firmaments.

As at today, we presently have 25 Academic Departments, in four Schools structure running about 60 different programmes with about 1,500 full complement staff, other than outsourced personnels, and over 10,000 students in Full and Part-time programmes.

Products of the Polytechnic who are doing well across various fields of endeavours in public and private sector of the economy must be in the neighbourhood of about 100,000 including myself, the first Alumnus to become Rector, the incumbent Bursar, Mr. J.K. Omodara, the first Alumnus Bursar, let me also add that three of our current six Deans are also products of the Institution as well as over 60 percent of the 1,500 staff who are proud products of the Institution.  

Let me now go into the main subject of this Press Conference, which is mainly about the 17th Combined Convocation of the Polytechnic.  The Ceremony is to hallmark the formal graduation of ND and HND products of five Academic Session, 2013/2014; 2014/2015; 2015/2016; 2016/2017; 2017/2018.  The total number of graduating students at ND and HND levels for the five Academic Sessions is about 17,000 altogether, making an average of about 3,400 per session.  This is so because the 17th Combined Convocation Ceremony, which was earlier planned for products of three Academic Sessions to coincide with the 40th Founding Anniversary of the Polytechnic in 2017 could not hold due to many factors, internal and external.

The event now coming up next week is to formalize the graduation of our products up to the last academic session and henceforth by the Grace of God our Convocation would now be held annually.

It is my honour to invite gentlemen of the Press from the fourth estate of the realm to the Activities Commemorating the 17th Combined Convocation as listed below:  

 Highlights of Activities for the 17th Combined Convocation Ceremony.

Day 1 - Event:  Pre Convocation Press Conference to be addressed by the Rector                                

Friday 2nd August, 2019 Time:  10:00am   Venue:  Governing Council Chamber

Day 2 

Monday 5th August, 2019 Event:  Commencement of payment for convocation materials by 

     graduating students  

Time: 9:00am Venue :  Cash Office in the Bursary

Day 3  -

Tuesday 6th August, 2019 Event:  Collection of Convocation Materials Starts at the Schools’ Offices

Time:  10.00am Venue: Respective School Offices

Day 4 -          

Thursday 8th August, 2019 Event (1):   Campus Facility Tour and Commissioning of projects.

Time:  9.00a.m. Venue:  Project sites

Event (2):  Opening of Special Convocation Exhibition

Time: 11.00a.m Venue:  Sports Complex

              Event (3):  Convocation Lecture

Topic: 

Exploring Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Mechatronics World:

The Place of Polytechnics in Entrepreneurial Educational   Development in Nigeria

Lecturer:    Prof. S.B. Adejuyigbe

Chairman:  Prof. Olawumi Ajaja

Time: 1.00p.m. Venue: Conference Hall

Day 5 -

Friday 9th August, 2019 Event (1):  Pre Convocation rehearsal 

      by Academic Office and some Graduating Students

Time: 9.00am Venue:  Sports Complex

Event (2):  ALUMNI Variety Day and Lecture

Time:  12noon Venue: ALUMNI Centre

Day 6 -  

Saturday 10th August, 2019 17th Combined Convocation Ceremony- for the Award of

Higher National Diploma and National Diploma and the presentation of prizes to the graduating sets of 2013/2014; 2014/2015; 2015/2016; 

2016/2017 and 2017/2018 Academic Sessions 

as well as the conferment of Honourary Fellowship 

Awards of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti (FFPA)

 to four distinguished Nigerians.

Time: 9:00am Venue: Sports Complex 

The grand finale of the event, as indicated, will take place on Saturday, 10th August, 2019 with the Award of Higher National Diploma and National Diploma to the Graduands of the 2013/2014; 2014/2015; 2015/2016; 2016/2017; 2017/2018 Academic Sessions as well as Conferment of Honourary Fellowship awards of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti FFPA on some distinguished and eminent Nigerians, who are:

1. His Excellency, Dr. A.U. Ganduje, OFR, FFPA

Former Chairman of the Polytechnic Governing Council and the current 

Executive Governor of Kano State      

2. His Excellency, Senator (Dr.) Sam. O. Egwu, CON, FFPA

Former Governor of Ebonyi State and distinguished Senator representing Ebonyi North  

3. Chief (Dr.) Sir. Bestman P.O. Anekwe, KSM, FFPA

Chairman, CEO, NIPCO PLC.         

4. Otunba ‘Femi Ogunleye, FFPA (a 1995 Alumnus of the Polytechnic)

Chairman, CEO of Hydrodam Nigeria Limited.

Earlier recipients of the Polytechnic Fellowship Awards are as follows:    

1. Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, FFPA - 1994

2. Alhaji Hamza Zayad, FFPA - 1994

3. HRM Oba F.I. Adesanoye, FFPA (now Late Osemawe of Ondo) - 1994

4. Prof. E.K. Obiakor, FFPA (Pioneer Rector, now Late) - 1994

5. Alhaji M. Maccido, FFPA (Late Sultan of Sokoto) - 1996

6. Otunba M.A. Jobi, FFPA (now Late) - 1996

7. Dr. A. Yabani, FFPA - 1996

8. HRH Alhaji Dr. Isah Mustapha, Agwai I, FFPA (Late Emir of Lafia) - 2016

9. Sir. Remi Omotoso, FFPA - 2016

10. Pastor ‘Toyin Alabi, FFPA (an Alumnus) - 2016.

The successes recorded so far are hard won and fraught with some ups and downs, but we thank God that in-spite of the daunting challenges we can lay claim to some achievements within the short span of eighteen months that I have been in the saddle as the 6th Substantive and first Alumnus Rector of the Polytechnic. 

Please permit me to outline some of our achievements as follows:

Constitution of about 40 Advisory Management Committees for the smooth running of the Institution. 

Payment of some outstanding allowances and Cooperative dues owed Staff before coming on board as the Rector.

Restructuring of some moribund IGR units in the Institution to boost the Polytechnic Internally Generated Revenue.

Stability in the academic environment and industrial relations which has resulted in running a predictable academic calendar.

Facilitating the take-off of proposed Ado-Poly Microfinance Bank, which is set to start business this month.

Sponsorship of Staff to learned Conferences, Seminars and Workshops within and outside the Country.

On-going construction of State-of-the-Art offices and Laboratory to temporary accommodates the burnt Health Centre.

Procurement of Hi-Tech Communication Gadgets for the Security Unit. 

Purchase of a new Bus and official vehicles for Principal Officers to replace old and rickety ones inherited.

Participation in the 19th Edition of the NBTE-Nigerian Polytechnic Senior Staff Games Association, NIPOSSGA at Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa and ranking 3rd out of forty (40) Institutions winning ten (10) Medals made up of three (3) Gold, one (1) Silver and six (6) Bronze.

Sound financial management of the meagre funds accruing to the Institution.

Improvement in the transportation system, to and fro, the Campus.

Reconstruction of some dilapidated buildings on the Campus. 

Provision of office furniture and equipment for convenience of Staff. 

Commissioning of new batteries of toilets at strategic locations in the Institution.

Ensuring promotion of Staff is done as and when due.

Promoting a culture of openness transparency and accountability in the Administration and Management of the Institution.

Upsurge in the rate of subscription to our programmes through JAMB, indicating greater confidence in our Academic programmes.

Maintaining industrial harmony in the Institution between the Management and the Staff Unions as well as between Management and Student’s Union.

Putting in place standard assessment procedures to measure the quality, quantity and effectiveness of curriculum delivery.

Organizing regular sensitization Seminars and Workshops to promote ethics and professionalism among Staff in the discharge of their duties.

Resource Inspection Visitation for new programmes and re-accreditation of the Institution’s existing academic programmes by both the NBTE and various professional bodies.

The Rector was awarded the Best Rector of the year and the Polytechnic as the Best Polytechnic in the South-West by the South-West Educational Awards Organisation.

Signed MoU with Federal University, Oye Ekiti on Degree Top Up/ Conversion degree programmes in the following faculties.

Faculty of Social Sciences

Faculty of Business Management

Faculty of Agriculture

Faculty of Engineering

Faculty of Science

FUOYE Senate has also approved Full-Time B.Eng/B.Sc in the Faculties of Engineering, Science and Agriculture e.t.c.

The Polytechnic is as well sustaining and expanding its collaboration with Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) in the running of the following Academic programmes at degree level.

English Education

Political Science Education

Economics Education

Social Studies Education

Biology Education

Computer Education

Technical Education

Accounting Education

Chemistry Education

Mathematics Education

Physics Education

The main Academic Programmes of this Polytechnic are also enjoying accreditation from both the National Board for Technical Education and the various professional bodies.

I am happy to inform this August gathering that as we speak here now a 50-man contingent of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) our regulating body, is rounding up today with its Accreditation/Resource Inspection Visitation to our Institution for the following programmes which we are very hopeful by God’s grace would be a success.

ND / HND Office Technology and Management -   Accreditation

ND / HND Civil Engineering    -   Accreditation

ND Agricultural Technology   -   Accreditation

ND Horticultural Technology -    Resource Inspection

HND Crop Production Technology -    Resource Inspection

ND Chemical Engineering -    Resource Inspection

ND Art and Design -    Resource Inspection

HND Ceramics Technology -    Resource Inspection

ND Hospitality Management -    Resource Inspection

ND Taxation -    Resource Inspection

ND Mass Communication -    Resource Inspection

HND Purchasing and Supply -    Resource Inspection

As at the time of preparing this address, the Institution was finally set, prepared and ready to receive the accreditation team for the success of the exercise, the teams for the various programmes arrived on Wednesday and are rounding off their activities today for the resource inspection and accreditation visitation to fourteen different programmes while we are expecting the NBTE to conduct similar exercise before the end of this year for some new programmes which will enable us to expand the number of academic departments and schools structure that we presently have.

In all these, certain challenges are confronting and somehow, arresting the development of the Polytechnic, some of these challenges which are not limited to the ones enumerated below are being tackled.

Ageing physical infrastructures

Paucity of funds – capital, overhead etc., this has made it difficult for Management to pay outstanding Cooperative check-off dues and arrears owed Staff by the previous administration.

No befitting Hostel building for our Students.

Poor condition of vehicles in the Polytechnic.

Inadequate books and other learning materials in the Polytechnic Library.

No befitting Convocation Arena for the Polytechnic.

No standard Polytechnic Sports Complex to enhance our performances at sporting events.

Inadequate Computers and accessories in the Institution, particularly in our Library, ICT building, Department of Office Technology Management (OTM) and for Staff use.

Need more Laboratory and Workshop equipment for Students’ Practicals.

Inadequate teaching infrastructure like projectors, Public Address Systems for large lecture halls, interactive boards, etc.

Dilapidated Staff quarters.

No scholarships/bursary awards to assist outstanding but indigent Students.

In view of the above and knowing fully well that government cannot do it all alone if an institution as this is to fulfil its mandate, we are thus soliciting for the support of potential benefactors and the well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid so that the Mission and the Vision, for which this Institution was founded, can be fully achieved.

Conclusion 

Gentlemen of the Press, this is our story and we need your help to tell the world that the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti is moving forward to take its rightful place in the committee of respectable technological Institutions across the globe, but we need you to partner with us in helping to highlight areas of our positive development and overlooking some inadequacies, which may happen from time to time as a human Institution.

Thank you, God bless you.

Dr. Dayo Oladebeye

2nd August, 2019