LAGOS JUNE 17TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Work is still ongoing, but at a very fast pace. Already, the majestic presence of the citadel of learning is attracting building structures near the school. A kind of opening up the surrounding of a school that’s yet to commence academic activities such that a plot of land is said to be going for about N800,000 today. This is one of the benefits of attracting an enduring, life-changing legacy to one’s society.

The Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State is commencing academic activities in September, 2023, three months from now. The site has been agog with artisans such as welders who were seen fixing some parts of the magnificent gate building; inside the premises are beautiful, modern structures in line with the digital age. The structures with sublime aesthetics are hospital, administrative blocks, staff quarters, guest houses, lecture theatres, library complex, lecture rooms, sports complex, and more, all sitting on an over 140 acres of land at the very outskirts of the ancient Orogun kingdom.

The twin utmost necessities of life – light and water – find expression in the equation. A stepdown substation and seven generating plants are to be installed to power the entire campus and forever ward off darkness, while all the structures are waiting for reticulation as the water project is near completion.

With the recruitment process at its peak, over 26 courses under the School of Arts and Design, School of Business Studies, School of Applied Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences and School of Technology are set to take off. The departments include: Department of Computer Science, Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Department of Civil Engineering Technology, Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering Technology, Department of Agricultural and Bio-Environmental Technology,

Department of Computer Engineering Technology, Department of Metallurgical Engineering Technology, Department of Welding and Fabrication Engineering Technology and Department of Foundry Engineering Technology.

Others are Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Department of Statistics, Department of Library and Information Science, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Department of Fashion Design and Clothing Technology, Department of Accountancy,  Department of Business Administration Management, Department of Banking and Finance and Department of Human Resource Management.

There are also the Department of Marketing, Department of Mass Communication, Department of Office Technology and Management, Department of Office Production and Operations Management, Department of Entrepreneurship Education and Department of General Studies, among others.

Facilitated via a bill sponsored by the outgoing Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, who represented Delta Central district, the law for its establishment was approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari in March 2021 while former Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, gave approval for the site in June 2021.

Pioneering Rector of the institution, Dr. Duke Okoro, a fellow of Nigerian Chemical Society and several others, who took journalists round the campus, enthusiastically averred that the school was ready to hit the ground running in three months.

“You must have seen a very magnificent gate house as you enter, followed by the paved path and you can see that the roads are of international standard. We have the Muhammadu Buhari Administrative Building, Edwin E.K. Clark Student Building, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Sports Complex, which is under construction, there are about 12 buildings of lecture halls, there’s also the library building, the lecture theatres, 10 buildings for staff, five buildings for principal offices fully completed.

“We have to take advantage of all these facilities and infrastructures that are here to ensure that the students that are yet to be admitted, will get the best of learning so that they can be fully certified and contribute to the workforce of not Delta State alone, but to the nation at large,” the member of the Chemical Profession of Alberta, Canada, enthused.

Dr Okoro further disclosed that the polytechnic had already gone into partnership with a Canadian company for skills acquisition in oil and gas for global relevance.

“We just signed an MoU with a Canadian company that is known for certification last week and they picked this polytechnic as the institution that will anchor the training of prospective learners.

“And the certification is such that by the time you obtain it, you will have a seamless entry to work not just in Canada but around the globe. We are happy about that, because we are the only institution in Nigeria chosen for that world-class certification,” he announced.

“As we are here, some of the community leaders are here with us and I can tell you authoritatively that since the development started, the cooporation and understanding of the host community has been very awesome. As a matter of fact, they have ensured that the contractors have very cordial relationship not just with them, but with people who come here to work. They have provided a very peaceful atmosphere that is why under seven months, you can see this development in the institution. I give kudos to them,” the Rector disclosed.

Justifying the essence and ideology of polytechnic education in the technological development of Nigeria, Dr Okoro said: “some couple of years ago, China converted over 100 universities to polytechnics and they did that because they realise that university graduates are thinkers and they needed more of the doers, the people who will form the workforce which are the people who are trained with skills set to act like plug and play in the industrial sector. And when China did that, it worked for them. But the emphasis on university education here, which produces mostly thinkers, should be de-emphasized and emphasis should be on the technical personnel that can drive the country to a superb industrial revolution.”

Our correspondent observed that a massive, structural masterpiece was being mounted just beside the campus with a perimeter fence demarcating it from the institution. On enquiry, the rector said the structure is a training school for senior military officers. “It’s the Nigerian Space School for training with a long shooting range. A military primary school is also among the buildings sharing borders with us, which means our security at the polytechnic is fully guaranteed because we’re going to fully collaborate with the military personnel and nothing like cultism or insecurity would be heard around us,” he assured.

Meanwhile, folks at Orogun are already having a feel of what it takes to host a higher educational institution in their community as, in line with the Local Content Act, many of them, who spoke to our correspondent, are having their economic fortunes greatly improved.

Speaking on behalf of the Orogun community, Chief Benjamin Ojiri, who’s the Omamede of Orogun Kingdom and the Okarorho (Village Head) of Orhomuru community, expressed delight at the establishment of the institution in his area with its attendant impacts. “It is impacting us positively already. We are grateful to our son, Senator Omo-Agege, the immediate past Deputy Senate President for his ingenuity and being able to lobby and get this Federal Polytechnic to this environment.

“The community is already feeling the development even though the polytechnic has not gained ground fully. All the local people here are working there and they earn wages and things are changing. We have a lot of visitors in the community that are making the day-to-day business to thrive.

“We are very happy and looking forward to much more prosperous environment and an avalanche of students from all walks of life coming here. I won’t be surprised if we see Ghanaians coming here to school. So, we are happy,” he enthused.

Tribune