I met Kadpoly in state of decay – Rector

The new Rector of Kaduna Polytechnic is carrying out urgent reforms having met the institution in a bad state.

Kaduna Polytechnic got a new rector, Professor Idris M. Bugaje, in September this year. A few weeks after his assumption, he has made some administrative changes, significant among which is the appointment of a new acting registrar, Comrade Haruna Ndandok. 

Bugaje took over from Dr. Catherine Eveh Uloko who has been in acting capacity since August 27, 2016. A letter dated September 27, 2017 signed by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated that his appointment of four years in the first instance, took effect from September 14, 2017.

The appointment of the new acting registrar, according to the rector, was necessary to facilitate effective management in line with his vision for the institution.

Daily Trust gathered from the polytechnic’s news bulletin that the new rector directed that all Management Standing Committees set up by the previous administrations including that of the Central Admission Committee be dissolved while chairmen of all the affected committees were directed to prepare handover notes and submit to the office of the rector. Also, the management committee (executive committee) has been expanded to include the head of audit, policy and transparent unit as observers. 

The management however has reconstituted some of the standing committees in furtherance to the on-going reformation exercise. The bulletin also showed that the composition of the institution’s academic board is now strictly based on the Federal Polytechnic Act (2004) while all those who are not covered by the Act cease to be members.

Also, the rector has created the Directorate of Procurement under his office while he approved the appointment of Engineer Abubakar Salihu Ovajimoh as its Director, with effect from October 11, pending ratification by the Governing Council. Other approvals by the rector include the re-appointment of Engineer Kabir Idris as the Director Centre for Technology, Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CTEED) for a tenure of two years with effect from October 9 and Malam Suleiman Umar as the Director Academic Planning with effect from October 24.

Another news bulletin dated October 30, stated that the Governing Council of the polytechnic had validated all appointments made by the rector including those of the acting Registrar, the Director, Academic Planning and Managing Director of Kadpoly Consult Nig. Ltd among others. The Governing Council, according to the bulletin, has stepped down the advertisement for the post of Director, Physical Planning while it directed that the current occupant, Architect Kabir Lawal, continue till the end of his tenure.

The rector who assumed office at a time when the academic staff union of the polytechnic was on strike, organised an interactive session with the academic staff where he explained how he intended to tackle the challenges facing the institution. 

Daily Trust gathered that the sudden changes made by the new rector did not go down well with some staff of the polytechnic, particularly, the senior staff.

Explaining the fast changes he made on assumption of office, the rector said:  “I had to make some administrative changes because the old order was not ready for change and change is the only constant thing in this regime.”

He further pointed out: “I have only rolled out my road map and the major one is a transparent financial infrastructure. We are bringing in a new software which would allow every naira, every kobo that belongs to the polytechnic to be seen by all stakeholders, not only the management, not only the registrar or the bursar but every member of the institution would have access to it. We want to operate a very transparent system so that it would give confidence to our unions and stakeholders.”

Speaking further on the appointments, Professor Bugaje said, “I didn’t make appointment of any principal officer except that of the registrar, all others are lecturers who are going to help me reposition the system. I have not touched any director, but if any director is not performing, we will not only send him to the classroom but drop him. Directorship is tenured and when you finish your tenure, you should go back to where you belong.”

Commenting on the state of infrastructure, he lamented that upon resumption, he met Kaduna Polytechnic in a very sorry state. “The infrastructure was not only dilapidated but completely decayed. When I visited the hostels, I couldn’t believe what I saw, it was worse than a war zone. I couldn’t understand how that kind of place can be conducive for learning.

“So, we are trying our best to involve government. It’s a federal government institution. We are also involving other stakeholders in order to revive the institution and see how to move the academics forward because 80 per cent of our courses must be accredited. Twenty per cent is fully accredited and so it’s a big task but we are ready to face them and we are ready to overcome it,” he said.

The rector who said he was pleased with the state-of-the-art equipment in some departments, promised to utilise them through the soon-to-be established Centre for Technology Development in order to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). He however urged departments with prospect to generate funds to submit proposal through their colleges for consideration.