Acting Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Dr. Salisu Ogbo Usman has assured students of decent on-campus hostel accommodation. He gave the assurance in Lokoja on Tuesday during the inauguration of seven committees charged with the responsibility of overseeing the renovation of hostels in the institution.
The Acting Rector reiterated his avowed commitment to the ongoing reforms in the academic institution. He charged the committees to ensure renovation works are done and completed according to specifications.
The Acting Rector stated that the committees will engage persons within their immediate environment, adding that the terms of reference of the committees includes: roofing, structural work, fencing, drainage, painting, tiling, provision of portable water amongst others.
He expressed confidence in the expertise of technical staff of the Polytechnic and assured that they will deliver as prescribed in the bill of quantity. He described the committee members are men and women of proven integrity.
He announced that students were included as members of each of the renovation committees. Students have endured five torrid years coping with exorbitant off-campus accommodation and security challenges as the planned renovation of the hostels stalled.
However, the Acting Rector raised their hopes with an assurance that the renovation will commence immediately and be completed in 30 days. He explained that the delay was caused by legal hurdles as the state government had to revoke the initial contract awarded to a firm to renovate the hostels.
He recalled that few weeks after his appointment as Acting Rector, he constituted a committee on the hostels renovation and the committee, in its report, recommended that the institution adopt a public-private partnership model.
He commended Governor Yahaya Bello for granting the institution approval to secure credit facility to renovate the hostels. He added that Governor Bello counselled that the institution employ direct labour for the project.
In his vote of thanks the President of the institution’s Student Union Government, Teino Oguche, commended the state government and school management for taking bold steps towards renovating the hostels.
Oguche noted that the 30-day delivery date for the renovation works is in the best interest of student who will not have to renew tenancy of their current accommodation that will be due by January next year.
The Acting Rector will head the central monitoring committee while Dr. Arc. Thompson Ekele, the Dean, School of Environmental Technology will head the committee in charge of the 12 blocks of male hostels.
Other committee chairmen are: the Acting Registrar, Mr Raji (Mary Ajayi hostel 1-4); the Acting Director of Works, Engineer Sunday Adanu (London hostel 1-4); the Deputy Rector, Dr. Kehinde Lamidi (London hostel 1-2); Acting Librarian, Mrs Audu (Afakariya hostels 1-3); Engineer Ayni Adamu (Wada hostel 1-2).
