By our Correspondent in Makurdi
The newly inaugurated Prof. Okpeh O. Okpeh led-Governing Council of Akawe Torkula Polytechnic, Makurdi, has held its inaugural meeting as part of its commencement of work to reposition the Polytechnic.
The Chairman Prof. Okpeh O. Okpeh who arrived at the campus of the Polytechnic in Makurdi with other members of the Council on a day visit, were received by the Rector and other Management Staff of the Polytechnic.
The team immediately commenced a fact-finding and assessment tour of structures and facilities in the institution.
In his welcome address, Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Martins Agena gave the Prof. Okpeh led council a breakdown of the efforts he has made so far in shaping activities at the institution since he assumed office in April, 2024.
Dr. Agena used the address to highlight those efforts to include his familiarization visit to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Nigerian Army College of Environmental Science and Technology (NACEST), in addition to creating over 10 new schools, about 74 departments and directorates in the last 3 months.
At a well-attended interactive session with the academic and non-academic staff of the Polytechnic, the Chairman informed the staff of the institution that their appointment into the Governing Council of the Polytechnic was intended to add value and help to navigate a path to restoring the lost glory of the institution.
“We will provide an all-inclusive leadership that would allow for everyone to contribute his or her quota to the growth of our dear Polytechnic. This is just the beginning of our interactive moments as we intend to interface and consult with all relevant stakeholders. We have heard about the plethora of problems and we are determined to tackle them headlong. With your support and prayers, I can say God has heard your cries”, Prof. Okpeh said.
After the consultations with the teeming members of staff, the Chairman and other members of the Governing Council then entered into a closed door meeting with the Management team of the Polytechnic where things were discussed in details.
The Council also restructured the directorates of Academic Planning, that of Accreditation and Quality Assurance, collapsing them into one so as to minimize cost. The new directorate would now be named directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, with three deputy directors heading academic planning, quality assurance and accreditation respectively.
The Chairman and other members of the Governing Council who were conducted round by the Management team led by the Rector, Dr. Martins Agena had the opportunity to see things first hand by themselves. They said all hands must be on deck to turn around the situation of the school.