Initiate courses that will help rescue youths from banditry, Reps tell Poly rectors

The call was made by the Chairman of the Committee, Fuad Kayode Laguda, and other committee members during an oversight session with rectors and management staff from Federal Polytechnic Kauran-Namoda, Zamfara State; Federal Polytechnic Bauchi; Federal Polytechnic Kaltungo, Gombe State; and Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State.

The House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnics and Other Higher Technical Education has urged the rectors of federal polytechnics to be more innovative by introducing courses and programs that can help tap into the full potential of their catchment areas.

The committee particularly called on the rectors to introduce courses aimed at rescuing youths from banditry or preventing them from becoming agents of bandits.

Speaking after a presentation by the rector of Federal Polytechnic Kauran-Namoda, Zamfara State, Jonathan Murdi, Rep. Laguda emphasized that the institution should introduce courses in fields like Geology and Mining to educate youths and help divert them from becoming bandits or working as their agents.

He said, “As we discussed earlier, why don’t you have courses in mining in your area? If you do, the gold and minerals found in the soil could be tested in your school, providing a source of internal revenue for you.”

He further added, “These opportunities are right under your nose; you shouldn’t overlook them. Innovation is about addressing the challenges of today, and this is part of that.”

Rep. Laguda stressed that introducing such courses would help address the declining student population in Zamfara State, which has been impacted by insecurity.

“We’d be glad to hear that student enrollment is increasing, not decreasing. This can be achieved by maintaining high standards. If we produce top-quality graduates, employers will take notice. They will hire our graduates, and soon, parents will send their children to your school,” he said.

Following his presentation, the rector was asked to provide additional documents, including evidence of insurance payments and a report on the increase in personnel costs despite a shortfall of 50 staff members in 2024.

During the session, the rector of Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Dr. Sani Usman, informed the committee that the institution, established in 1976, employs 2,112 academic and non-academic staff. The polytechnic runs 36 academic programs and has 11,000 students.

After presenting the school’s budget performance since 2021, Dr. Usman and his management team were directed to submit more detailed documents within seven working days.

The rector of Federal Polytechnic Kaltungo, Gombe State, Dr. Sulaiman Lame, reported that the institution was established in 2019, and key staff recruitment began in 2020. He noted that the polytechnic currently employs 500 staff, with 65% academic and 35% non-academic staff. The institution offers 11 programs across four schools and currently has 300 students.

Dr. Lame also highlighted the completion of two hostels, one for males and one for females, with capacities of 200 and 350 students, respectively. He mentioned plans to introduce more academic courses to better utilize the staff.

After his presentation, the committee directed Dr. Lame to provide details of the school’s nominal roll, procurement process, and reappear in seven working days.

The rectors of Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State, Dr. Mohammed Usman, and his team also made presentations before the committee.

“Ordinarily, this meeting should have been held at your individual institutions,” Rep. Laguda said. “But due to security reasons—our rector from Zamfara can attest to this—we’ve had attacks on two separate occasions when we tried to meet. In fact, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sokoto was murdered on the same road we were supposed to travel.”

He concluded, “While we would have preferred to meet at your institutions, the timeline and security concerns forced us to hold this session here. We will also be visiting other institutions as part of our oversight activities.”

In his opening remarks, Chairman Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda explained that the oversight session was held at the National Assembly due to concerns over insecurity and other factors.