Two student’s hostels built in the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State under the 2020 Special Intervention Programme of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have been commissioned.
The two buildings, which included one for the male students and another for their female counterparts, funded with a total sum of N550 million, was commissioned at the polytechnic’s students village extension site by the Chairman, Senate Committee on States and Local Government Affairs, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South Senatorial District), on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday.
In his speech, Senator Ubah conveyed the commendation of President Tinubu to the TETFund and Oko Polytechnic managements for championing the realisation of the “Renewed Hope” agenda of his administration, stating that the provision of adequate hostel for the students in the nation tertiary institutions would not only enhance the quality of teaching and learning but would help in stemming insecurity ravaging the country.
He assured that his administration would continue to sustain TETFund programmes as part of the deliberate determination of the administration to upgrade infrastructures in tertiary institutions and improve quality of teaching and learning compared with what is obtainable in best global institutions.
President Tinubu noted that beside the two students hostels which have a total of 26 rooms with the capacity to accommodate 208 students, TETFund under the 2020 special invention programme has funded 101 lecturers in the polytechnic to obtain Ph.Ds, 60 others to obtain Masters Degrees and also sponsored 90 other staff members of the institution to attend conferences locally and internationally.
President Tinubu tasked the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Francisca Nwafulugo, and her management to ensure that the hostels were properly maintained and put to use for the improvement of the wellbeing of the students.
Executive Secretary of the TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Arc. Babatunde Olajide, commended the polytechnic management for ensuring that the students hostels were built in compliance with the approved specifications and quality materials.
Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Nwafulugo expressed gratitude to the TETFund for assisting to improve the dearth of students hostel in the polytechnic, stating that the male hotel would mark the first time male students would be housed within the polytechnic.
She, however, appealed to wealthy members of the public to come to assist the polytechnic in redressing the dearth of students’ hotels by building and donating hostels in the institution.
The rector stated that the polytechnic has several infrastructural challenges including lack of access roads and ecological problems, she therefore appealed to the federal government, education friendly institutions and wealth individuals to assist in redressing the problems.