How Katsina Poly tackles developmental challenges — RECTOR
FROM a modest seventeen (17 programmes at inception in 1983 by the former Kaduna State Government, the Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic (formerly Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology and later Katsina Polytechnic) is now running fifty two (52). The polytechnic has five (5) colleges and twenty one (21) academic departments training students for the award of various National and Higher National Diploma certificates.
Rector of the institution, Dr. Kabir Ibrahim Matazu, said at the opening of a meeting of Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria, that the management and Academic Board under the guidance of the Polytechnic Governing Council are also striving to introduce new National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes in Science and Technology based departments. Provision had been made in the 2006 capital budget of the Polytechnic and grants from Education Trust Fund (ETF) Abuja intervention for Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) will be used towards realising these objectives.
According to Matazu, the Katsina State Government, in 2004, excised the College of Legal and General Studies (CLGS) from the polytechnic and converted it into an autonomous institution — Yusufu Bala Usman College of Legal General Studies, Daura.
“This greatly assisted the polytechnic towards achieving the 70:30 in favour of Science and Technology as directed by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).”He extended the polytechnic's gratitude to the Visitor, Governor Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, for constituting the Governing Council of the polytechnic according to the laws establishing it, with the appointment of Engineer (Mallam) Musa D. Abdullahi, the first Rector of the Polytechnic, as chairman of council.
The polytechnic had been adequately funded as salaries, pensions and gratuity are paid as at when due. It had received the amount of N593 million from the State Government from 1999 to date. This year, the government had already released the sum of N200 million to the council as capital grant.The monthly subvention to the polytechnic has consistently been released and was recently increased from N2.8m to N3.3m per month. Special grants are also released to the polytechnic as the need arose.
“The polytechnic will definitely reciprocate this tremendous gesture by maintaining standards, ensuring peace and tranquility, as well as striving hard to achieve its set objectives”, Matazu assured.He disclosed that Katsina Polytechnic has also received the sum of N120 million from ETF Abuja from 1999-2006, adding, “the Katsina State ETF had also been assisting the polytechnic with computers, text books and other teaching materials.
The polytechnic is being assisted with a yearly grant of N1 million for internet subscription while its Café will soon be provided with solar power generation facilities.The state government has released funds to the council for the polytechnic’s interact and computer system which will also be fully networked, including the Musa Abdullahi Library.“We, however, believe a lot more could be done towards making our polytechnic even a greater Centre of Excellence”.
The Rector pleaded with government to consider the following:*Sustaining the current level of funding to the polytechnic.*Assist the polytechnic to prepare adequately for the forthcoming NBTE accreditation exercise. 28 programmes of the polytechnic will soon be visited for re-accreditation and resource visit by NBTE.*Incorporating into 2007 budget, (a) Wall fencing of the polytechnic, (b) Complete renovation of the entire polytechnic staff quarters; (c) Construction of a befitting Convocation/Graduation Square.
extracted from vanguard newspaper
Rector of the institution, Dr. Kabir Ibrahim Matazu, said at the opening of a meeting of Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria, that the management and Academic Board under the guidance of the Polytechnic Governing Council are also striving to introduce new National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes in Science and Technology based departments. Provision had been made in the 2006 capital budget of the Polytechnic and grants from Education Trust Fund (ETF) Abuja intervention for Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) will be used towards realising these objectives.
According to Matazu, the Katsina State Government, in 2004, excised the College of Legal and General Studies (CLGS) from the polytechnic and converted it into an autonomous institution — Yusufu Bala Usman College of Legal General Studies, Daura.
“This greatly assisted the polytechnic towards achieving the 70:30 in favour of Science and Technology as directed by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).”He extended the polytechnic's gratitude to the Visitor, Governor Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, for constituting the Governing Council of the polytechnic according to the laws establishing it, with the appointment of Engineer (Mallam) Musa D. Abdullahi, the first Rector of the Polytechnic, as chairman of council.
The polytechnic had been adequately funded as salaries, pensions and gratuity are paid as at when due. It had received the amount of N593 million from the State Government from 1999 to date. This year, the government had already released the sum of N200 million to the council as capital grant.The monthly subvention to the polytechnic has consistently been released and was recently increased from N2.8m to N3.3m per month. Special grants are also released to the polytechnic as the need arose.
“The polytechnic will definitely reciprocate this tremendous gesture by maintaining standards, ensuring peace and tranquility, as well as striving hard to achieve its set objectives”, Matazu assured.He disclosed that Katsina Polytechnic has also received the sum of N120 million from ETF Abuja from 1999-2006, adding, “the Katsina State ETF had also been assisting the polytechnic with computers, text books and other teaching materials.
The polytechnic is being assisted with a yearly grant of N1 million for internet subscription while its Café will soon be provided with solar power generation facilities.The state government has released funds to the council for the polytechnic’s interact and computer system which will also be fully networked, including the Musa Abdullahi Library.“We, however, believe a lot more could be done towards making our polytechnic even a greater Centre of Excellence”.
The Rector pleaded with government to consider the following:*Sustaining the current level of funding to the polytechnic.*Assist the polytechnic to prepare adequately for the forthcoming NBTE accreditation exercise. 28 programmes of the polytechnic will soon be visited for re-accreditation and resource visit by NBTE.*Incorporating into 2007 budget, (a) Wall fencing of the polytechnic, (b) Complete renovation of the entire polytechnic staff quarters; (c) Construction of a befitting Convocation/Graduation Square.
extracted from vanguard newspaper
Comments