Why Orogun (Delta) needs federal poly – Omo-Agege

The Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has said that the federal polytechnic, Orogun when established, will address youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region.

He stated this at a one-day public hearing in Abuja on a bill to establish Federal Polytechnic, Orogun Delta.

The event was organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TetFund.

Omo-Agege said that increased availability of technical and vocational education should be part of core strategies towards permanently addressing youth restiveness and boosting oil and gas production in the region.

Omo-Agege who is the sponsor of the bill explained that he sponsored the bill in response to constituents’ yearnings.

He said: “The proposed federal polytechnic Orogun is conceived as an institution for academic excellence in fulfilment of the Federal Government’s policy of establishing at least one federal polytechnic in every state of the federation.

“It will be an institution with an all-embracing statutory mandate to develop a wide range of professionals in engineering and technology, social sciences, sciences, the arts and humanities, among others.

“This polytechnic is coming to resolve a huge challenge presently affecting a great majority of our otherwise qualified tertiary education admission seekers.”

Declaring the event open, President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan noted that it was remarkable that out of numerous memoranda received for the public hearing, there was no single objection to proposals for the establishment of the institution.

Lawan was represented by the Deputy Senate Leader Robert Boroffice.

In his presentation, Prof. Samuel Ibodje said that the establishment of the institution would be of great social and economic enhancement to the state in particular, the South-South geopolitical zone and the country in general.

While stressing that the establishment of a federal polytechnic in Delta was long overdue.

He said this would boost local contents through effective community participation in the oil industry and reduce unemployment through skill acquisition.

The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Ahmad Kaita, noted that the committee was not in receipt of submissions against the establishment of the institution.