The newly inaugurated Governing Council of the newly established Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia, has been charged to make the institution a force to be reckoned with nationally and globally.
Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun FCA, CON, gave this charge while inaugurating the pioneer governing council in his office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.
The governing council has Ambassador Isiaka Adesola Abolurin as chairman and Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina as the Rector.
Other Council members include Prof. Olurin Kayode, Mr. Adegbite Idowu, Mr. Idowu Olaoluwa, Mrs. Bobade Moji, Mr. Akin Orebiyi, Dr. Odedeji Adeoye, Mr. Ogunsipe Phillips, Mr. David Aninkan, Mr. Olatunbosun Ayoade and Mr. Emmanuel Adeleye (Registrar & Secretary to the Council).
Amosun urged the 15-man council to keep the flag flying by setting a solid standard for the institution.
The governor said his government placed high premium on education since the inception of his administration.
He said so much money was committed in order to ensure free education.
He said the facilities on ground could accommodate about 3000 students with students’ hostel and staff quarters.
Amosun stated that the tenure of the Chairman, Governing Council would be three years at first instance while the tenure of the Rector would run for four years at first instance.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Council, Ambassador Isiaka Abodunrin, on behalf other members, appreciated Amosun for the honour.
He said that although it was a great challenge to be appointed as pioneer members of the governing council he assured that his team would not disappoint the trust and responsibility bestowed on them.
The Chairman said that his team, which had been drawn from diverse sources of knowledge and expertise from industries, academia, professional bodies, would take decisions believed to be in the best long term interest of the polytechnic, focusing on the fundamental strength of the polytechnic for growth and future development.
Abodunrin promised to make Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia, an enviable citadel of learning by relating with the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology as well as other relevant agencies within and outside the state in compliance with the mission to rebuild the state.
The Rector, Dr. Samson Odedina, in his own comment said that it was a new beginning for a quality tertiary institution which would give birth to quality output in terms of students’ performances, either in job market or as role models to other youths in job creation, and to those, who wanted to embrace high quality education.
Odedina said the polytechnic would focus majorly on entrepreneurship development programmes to reduce unemployment rates in the labour market.
His words: “Our major focus in the Polytechnic will be zero unemployment rates for our students, making them employers’ favourites as well as being employers of labour.”
He stressed that with the assurance from the state government and available resources, the polytechnic would be a cynosure for transformational and developmental programmes.
The Rector opined that the institution would be of world class standard where students would be more of employers than waiting for employment thereby making them role models to other youths in the society.
