Ukana FedPoly: Rector tasks parents on career path for their children, wards
The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, in Essien Udim Local Government Area, Dr. Uduak Sunday Ukekpe has advised parents and guardians to guide their children and wards on career paths that would make them self independent and employable upon graduation.
He wants them to be guided to focus on courses and programmes tilting towards technical education.
Making the advocacy, Thursday while featuring on a live radio interview, “Close Up” on Redemption 101.5FM, Abak, the Ukana Poly Rector who however regretted what he observed as low funding of technical education by the federal government, tasked both federal and state governments to prioritize technical education in order for the state and country, Nigeria to have the needed technical manpower to drive the economy. He regretted a situation where expatriates are hired to handle some technical jobs that would have been handled by Nigerians if the government had equiped technical colleges and Polytechnics with the needed equipments to train students in technical and technological based courses.
Ukekpe maintained that technical education encourages self-learning and independence, and also offers skilled-based employment opportunities. He explained that the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana under his watch has been repositioned to revolutionalize technical education in Nigeria, and announced that the National Board For Technical Education, NBTE has accredited programmes offered by the institution, even as he annouced that the Mechanical Engineering department will soon be added to the academic menu of the school.
He listed ND Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Civil Engineering , Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Science Laboratory Technology, Accounting, Statistics and Business Administration/ Management as the approved courses.
“For polytechnic education, the emphasis here is on the practical. I don’t expect my students to finish from the polytechnic and be roaming the streets in search of jobs.
“We equip the students with the needed skills to be independent, and we have all the equipments at the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana”
“If we pay more attention to technical education, it would solve unemployment and social problems we have in the society.
“I think the government is looking down on technical education which does not augur well for the country.
“The government i must say is not funding that aspect of education (Technical Education) very well”.
He hinted that fees charged at the Ukana Polytechnic are very low.
He also debunked reports suggesting that HND programmes have been scraped.
The Rector listed progress so far l made by the 8 year old institution to include, infrastructural development, upgrade of facilities, movement to the Main campus among others.
Ukekpe disclosed that the polytechnic has zero tolerance for examination malpractice, cultism and any misdemeanor.
