Kogi to reopen 4 vocational colleges to improve technical education

The Kogi State Government says four of its vocational colleges will soon be reopened toward boosting technical education in the state.

Its Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, made the disclosure on Thursday in his address at the Matriculation of new students of Kogi State Polytechnic, Felele, Lokoja.

“As government, we have place priority on technical education, science and technology, hence our resolve to resuscitate our four vocational colleges, inherited from Kwara and Benue at our creation as a state, ” he explained

Jones said, “the aim is to see that qualified secondary school students have ample opportunities in our polytechnic to study and be better future leaders of Kogi and Nigeria as a whole.”

The Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Salisu Ogbo-Usman, said that the fully accredited 30 programmes of the institution were intended to mould students who earn their certification from regulatory bodies.

Ogbo-Usman described the polytechnics’ drive towards achieving infrastructural development as a “true evidence of action which again is student-centred”.

According to him, the polytechnic will provide them with wide range of opportunities in different entrepreneurial, trades, vocational and skills acquisition facilities.

On security, he said, “we expect students and staffers to be security conscious, and support the institution by reporting suspicious movements around them to securily agents.”

He reiterated that the ban on all other tribal associations on campus was still in force until further notice.

“You should be aware that this Institution has zero tolerance for all forms of social vices, such as cultism, gun-running, examination malpractice, alcoholism, unhealthy social gatherings, cyber crimes, amongst others.

“We want to reiterate that while noble acts attract rewards, all vices will be met with heavy sanctions.

“Indiscipline, poor academic performance, unruly behaviour and insubordination are highly forbidden in this Institution.

“Therefore, you are expected to exhibit high sense of discipline while in the polytechnic, as the institution will not award its certificates to students that are deficient in character and in learning, ” he warned.

Ogbo-Usman said that act of cultism is completely forbidden on the institution and that it had placed preventive mechanisms to deal with cultists, their sympathisers and sponsors.

The rector advised the students to be sterling examples of what moral discipline is, by dressing modestly and in accordance with the acceptable standards.

“This is because any undue exposure of body parts is considered provocative to the sensibilities of others, and will be severely dealt with, ” he warned.