Insecurity: How Damaturu Federal Poly is coping –Board chairman

With the insecurity challenges in Yobe State, how are you running the polytechnic?Well, it is a very sad development. We had wanted it to be a normal process whereby we will be having our regular meetings, emergency meetings and visits in Damaturu but since our assumption in office about a year ago it hasn’t been […]

With the insecurity challenges in Yobe State, how are you running the polytechnic?
Well, it is a very sad development. We had wanted it to be a normal process whereby we will be having our regular meetings, emergency meetings and visits in Damaturu but since our assumption in office about a year ago it hasn’t been easy for us. We met only twice in Damaturu and other meetings, four or so, were held outside the state capital. So, this is not what we expected and wanted; we had wanted all our activities to be carried out in Damaturu. But be that as it may, we have been communicating regularly with the management headed by the rector. Where necessary we advise and where necessary we give directives.
So, actually, the issue of insecurity has affected the operation of the polytechnic negatively. Apart from destruction of our structures and other property of the school by the Boko Haram insurgents, the institution also suffered loss of students because not all the staff and students that were there before the commencement of the insurgency agreed to come back to the school after the insurgency started; we have loss both staff and students as a result of this unfortunate situation. We hope we shall soon experience full, normal life in the school.
Funding appears to be the major challenge of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. What is your take on this?
Definitely it is particularly so with our own school, the Federal Polytechnic Damaturu. Indeed we are being given envelops and when you are given envelop you can only operate within the content of that envelop, whether big or small. Honestly, it is always been small from my own experience and even the small may not be realised in time as a result of problem of lack of budget implementation which is a national phenomenon.
 Apart from that, admission is not increasing perhaps due to the security challenges facing the state. In an ideal situation the number of new intakes increases annually, but because of the insecurity situation in the state it is now decreasing. There is no increase in our admission as expected. We had wanted to introduce additional programmes but because of this problem we cannot do that for now.  However, the board is planning for few programmes now since peace is gradually returning to the state in the recent times. You know admission is one of the sources of internal revenue to tertiary institutions. Additionally, the institution cannot also carry out certain activities such seminars, conferences, workshops and other related activities that can generate additional revenue to it due to insecurity. Therefore, in the case of Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, the issue of insecurity is telling on us a lot more than any other place indeed.
What call do you have for the federal government on the issue of funding?
Well, the issue of funding is a national phenomenon but looking at the role of polytechnics, particularly when the government is saying that there should be self-sufficiency and self-employment and what have you. Therefore for the polytechnics to play their proper roles there must be reconsideration of the money given to them. Look at the universities, they were recently given N200 billion. If half of that is given to the polytechnics, definitely there would be tremendous changes in the affairs of the schools. We are not competing and or saying we must be treated the way the universities are treated but we want our own position to be recognised and be allowed to carry out our mandate properly. If we are to carry out our mandate effectively, definitely we need additional funding so that the mandate can be justifiable.
Dearth of qualified academic staff is viewed as the second major problem affecting tertiary institutions in the country. Is your institution facing similar problem?
It is also related to the insecurity matter because you find the qualified people coming from other states, unless of course you are from within the state. In most cases you discover that those who are qualified for the job, especially those from outside the state, are not comfortable to stay in the state. Although peace has relatively returned to the area, but the activities of the insurgents have crippled academic activities in the institution. But because the attack by the insurgents is still fluctuating, people still have fear of staying in the town.  On several occasions when we summon for a meeting in Damaturu, some board members will tell you no they cannot risk their lives to come to Damaturu for the meeting and therefore we will have to change the venue.  So the issue of insecurity is affecting our operations in many ways.    
Polytechnic lecturers have been on strike for a year now following the FG’s inability to meet their demands. What call do you have for the two parties so as to resolve the issue?
It is a very sad development and as a one-time lecturer, I know that the polytechnic lecturers have a case and also being part of government, I also know that the federal government has its own reasons for not attending at once to all the demands put before it by the striking lecturers. But I hope that the recent committee set up by government to look into the demands of the striking lecturers will soon come up with solutions that will favour both parties and end the strike because it is almost one year now without academic activities in our polytechnics and you know the consequences of this kind of situation. Apart from drawing back the hands of progress of polytechnic education, it is also giving room for other activities to take place especially among the students. There is this tendency of ideal minds because this kind of situation is a devil’s workshop, anything can happen. So we pray that something urgent can be done so that the schools can be reopened for normal academic activities to resume.
What should Yobe State people expect from the board under your leadership?
Of course when we came we promised to make the institution a better place for learning but this issue of insecurity has remained our stumbling block. We are however hoping that by the end of our tenure something would be seen as the legacy we have lefty behind for the people of Yobe and indeed the entire nation. Luckily for us, we have been enjoying good working relationship with the host community and the government as well. Therefore, we want to assure the people, the federal and the state governments that we will do our best to move the institution to greater heights.