The House of Representatives has promised to ensure proper management and accountability in Federal Polytechnics and other technical institutions.
Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda, Chairman of the House Committee on Polytechnics and Other Higher Technical Education, made this clear after an oversight meeting in Abuja with five polytechnics from the South East.
Laguda stressed the importance of polytechnics to national development and explained that the Committee is serious about how these schools use their budgets.
“We’ve realized it’s necessary to take a closer look at how polytechnics are spending their funds,” he said.
Though some oversight meetings were held at the National Assembly, Laguda confirmed that the Committee would visit some institutions in person to verify their claims, especially since not all provided sufficient evidence of their projects.
“The schools we’re not fully convinced about will get a physical visit. We need to see things for ourselves,” he said, adding that security concerns have delayed some visits.
He also mentioned that five polytechnics in the South East missed a previous meeting due to security issues, including a sit-at-home order. However, they attended the latest session and apologized for their earlier absence.
“We’re almost done with our review of the 37 federal polytechnics. By next week, we should be ready to finalize our work and prepare for the new budget year,” Laguda added.
The polytechnics that missed the earlier meeting include Federal Polytechnic Akanu Ibiam, Nekede, Ohodo, Isuochi, and Oko.
