Management and governing councils of public tertiary institutions in Osun State have been warned against breaching establishment laws. Governor Ademola Adeleke issued this warning while addressing the combined 8th convocation ceremony of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree.
Represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, the Governor emphasised the need for due diligence in handling Public Private Partnership agreements. He stressed that strict compliance with state laws is mandatory for all institutions.
"First, the management and governing councils must be aware of and comply at all times with the establishment laws of each institution. A breach will not be tolerated," Adeleke stated.
He directed that management and governing councils should strictly observe threshold approval limits in projects and PPP applications. He clarified that key projects or loan applications beyond the threshold must be referred to the ministerial board and finally the Visitor for approval.
"Additionally, loan applications beyond the threshold should be duly referred to the ministerial board and the Visitor for approval. All PPP projects must also have due diligence conducted on the partners by the relevant agencies, with a certificate of compliance secured before implementation," the Governor added.
Highlighting his administration’s commitment to education, Adeleke noted that funds have been provided for efficient management. He disclosed that staff and student welfare have received deserved attention, while equipment for training and accreditation has been supplied.
"We have facilitated accreditation of courses offered in all tertiary institutions in the state, while new programmes have been introduced. All studios, laboratories, and workshops have been stocked with state of the art equipment, which I did to ensure that the accreditations were granted," Adeleke disclosed.
He also revealed that the National Association of Nigerian Students received brand new 14 seater buses for their operations. Furthermore, about two thousand teachers were employed for primary and secondary schools two weeks ago.
Regarding fees, the Governor affirmed that his administration has ensured charges are moderate to enhance access. "We have ensured that the school fees of our schools are moderate and not unnecessarily bloated," he remarked.
He admonished the graduating students to leverage their acquired skills for the improvement of the economy. Rector of the polytechnic, Mr Kehinde Alabi, announced that the convocation covers graduates from the 2020/2021 to 2024/2025 academic sessions. He emphasised that polytechnic education equips students with practical skills essential for industrial growth, calling for the establishment of more polytechnics to accelerate national development.
