The Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic Ohodo, Enugu, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for citing the institution in Ohodo, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
The council’s Chairman, Chief Sylvester Ameh, made the commendation during a maiden visit to the polytechnic site, by council members on Thursday in Ohodo.
The chairman who lauded President Buhari for his vision and foresight in approving the establishment of the polytechnic in Ohodo community, described the development as a huge step in the right direction.
He further described the establishment of the polytechnic in Ohodo as a great honour to the people of the host community and the state at large.
According to him, it is a gesture the state should be eternally grateful for.
Ameh recalled that the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, had promised to provided all necessary logistics needed to kickstart the polytechnic’s academic activities, even as he had special interest in the polytechnic.
Ameh said that the institution would only offer practical oriented and entrepreneurial courses in its curriculum.
According to him, the polytechnic will also offer students, courses that will make them become job creators after graduation, thereby making the state a technology hub and contributing to the national development.
He listed some of the courses to include Digital Marketing, Cyber-security, Web designing, Software Engineering, Computer Hardware Engineering and Networking, Data Science and Analysis.
While emphasising that the council would be creative and innovative in taking decisions for the polytechnic, Ameh revealed that they would from time to time, also engage entrepreneurs and industrialists, from Onitsha and Nnewi in Anambra, to teach the students.
“Establishing a new polytechnic is not easy, but the council members have taken up the challenge to come and help the pioneer officers to do it.
“And in doing it, we are expected to be creative, we are expected to come out with innovations of what we really wants to do.
“What we want to do is that we want to bring a polytechnic that should be thinking of digital marketing, cyber-security, web designing, software engineering, computer hardware engineering and networking, and data science and analysis.
“We are going to bring people that are gurus in computer. We are not going to read anything like Sociology or History here.
“We want people from this polytechnic to be creative, so our polytechnic will be different from others,” Ameh said.
Earlier, the Rector of the polytechnic, Prof. Edwin Onyeneje, said the appointment of members of the governing council is divine, describing them as erudite, luminous, principled and courageous.
The rector said he was struck by the awesome intellect, extraordinary warmth and kind disposition of the council chairman, Chief Ameh.
Onyeneje lauded the Ohodo community for their support and cooperation, while soliciting the assistance and cooperation of all stakeholders, in moving the institution forward to another level.
“The stage is set, the theatre is full and the spectators are already seated, waiting.
“Infact, setting the pace and leading others, is the aspiration of the council, staff and management and all the founding fathers of this Federal Polytechnic Ohodo,” he said.
On his part, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Uchenna Ortuanya, thanked President Buhari and the minister of Education, for considering Ohodo community worthy of hosting a federal Polytechnic.
Ortuanya, who is also an indigene of the community, said the institution had placed the community in a world map, which according to him, is incredible.
He then appealed to the chairman of the council to include a member of the community in his team, as well as give employment and placements to indigenes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by dignitaries, including the Igbo-Etiti Local Government Chairman, Mr Ikenna Nwodo, the President General of Ohodo community and traditional rulers among others. (NAN)
