By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
GOVERNOR Yahaya Bello of Kogi State on Saturday said the commitment of his government to Education is evidenced its heavy investment in the sector through uplift of existing institutions and creation of new universities.
The Governor disclosed this while speaking as The Visitor to State owned Polytechnic at its 4th combined Convocation Ceremony in spanning from 2013/2014 to 2022/2023 sets of the institution.
He said that Education was one of the five thematic areas of the New Direction of the government when he came on board.
“We have taken our time to look at the educational needs of our people, and we have invested and will continue to invest heavily in the educational sector of our economy”, he said.
The governor said that through the appointment of Associate Professor Salisu Usman Ogbo, as Rector of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, tremendous feat had been achieved.
“We did not only improve the infrastructure and the standard of learning in this great institution, but we have taken our time to expand our institutions so that our children will not have to travel so far to seek for knowledge.
“Hence, our determination to set up two brand new universities within four years, the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, and the newest one, Kogi State University, Kabba.
“By the special grace of God, on the 16th of this month, and like we promised, and God Almighty decided, we are going to attend the first matriculation of intakes into the Kogi State University, Kabba.
“I profoundly appreciate Dr Usman Ogbo for all of his efforts in repositioning this institution that was characterized with several anomalies in the past.
“Today, it is an institution of envy and worthy of emulation by all other polytechnics and other institutions not only in Kogi State, not only in Nigeria, but across the world”, he said.
The governor used the occasion to thanked the people of the state for electing the APC Candidate in the November 11, Governorship Election and his would-be successor, the Governor-elect, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
He said, “I thank Dr Ogbo, I thank all of you, and of course the good people of Kogi State, for appreciating my modest contributions that have brought Kogi State up out there in this country and across the world.
“You show this appreciation on the 11th of November, last year, 2023, by resoundingly electing His Excellency, the Governor-elect, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo Who would by the special grace of God be inaugurated on the 27th of January 2024.
“By this time of that day, I would have become the former Governor. And of course, we ensured that Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Governor-elect, passed through the best hands.
“He went through the blast furnace and he came out shining, golden, and ready to take the state to the next level”, he enthused.
Governor Bello was also at the 4th Combined Convocation Ceremony of the Polytechnic conferred with a fellowship award for Outstanding Performance on “Infrastructure And Human Capital Development” by the Rector, Dr Salisu Ogbo Usman.
Four other distinguished Nigerians who also bagged fellowship of the institution include Alhaji lsa Ozi-Salami, Member representing Kogi State in the governing Council of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) for his positive contributions to the Polytechnic.
Others are: Prof. Idris Muhammad Bugaji, Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE); Barr Umoru Jimoh, Chairman, Board of Directors, IHS Nig. Ltd; and Barr. Moses Azubuike Okafor. (Ends)