By Our Correspondent
As part of efforts to cushion the effects of hardship faced by parents and students, the new Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr. Irene Awuzie, has slashed school fees in the institution by 7% .
The Rector gave the cheering news during the commissioning of projects executed by her administration and celebration of her 100 days in office.
“In a bold and compassionate move, we approved a 7% reduction in school fees aimed at reducing the financial burden on students and their families. By lowering the cost of education, the Polytechnic is promoting inclusiveness and ensuring that more students have access to uninterrupted learning.
“As a mother, I looked into some of the payments and removed the unnecessary ones. For instance, the Identity Card is now paid once and the medical fee is also paid once by the students”, she said.
She explained that in addition to what the federal government is doing through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, the Polytechnic had, through advocacy and outreach, sought out partnerships and support networks to fund student education.
According to her, scholarships have been facilitated for high performing and indigent students to reduce dropout rates linked to financial hardship.
On the flip side, however, Awuzie said that to ensure fairness and consistency in academic evaluations, her administration has introduced reforms that strengthen the integrity of assessment procedures.
Her words: “A 75% lecture attendance policy has been introduced as a prerequisite for both staff and students before they can teach, assess, or participate in examinations. This policy reinforces the seriousness of class participation and curbs absenteeism.
“Also, a lecture monitoring committee has been instituted to oversee compliance with academic schedules to ensure that lectures are delivered effectively and that students attend classes consistently”.
Awuzie explained that efforts are ongoing to renovate long neglected and dilapidated hostels, adding that the renovations will include structural repairs, improved water supply, sanitation upgrades and enhanced security measures.
Speaking on cultism, she added: “We have maintained a zero tolerance policy towards cultism, aligning institutional culture with values of integrity, respect and lawfulness.
“For safety of lives and property, we have upgraded the Polytechnic’s security infrastructure, procured and installed modern surveillance equipment for realtime monitoring of activities on campus, early detection of threats and rapid emergency response.
” We have constructed two new security posts at the Polytechnic’s extension site and Ufuma campuses respectively to improve coordination and operational effectiveness.
” We are also partnering with a security to strengthen patrol and surveillance across all campuses to ensure swift identification and neutralization of cult- related threats and improved intelligence gathering and proactive crime prevention strategies.”
Awuzie commended President Bola Tinubu for giving her the opportunity to contribute her quota towards improving the fortunes of Oko Federal Polytechnic and the Minister of Education for the support to the institution.