FP Ilaro begins power generation, offers work-study opportunity, matriculates 8,171 students 

The Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Dr M.A.Akinde fca, ACTI has disclosed that the School is in advanced stage of generating its power supply, offers work-study opportunities as well, improves on extant awards for excelling students and staff.

Dr Akinde, delivering his speech at the 27th Matriculation Ceremony held on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at the Pavilion Ground of the school, said, among the three stages of the Power project, the Medium-Term would soon improve the electricity supply tremendously, adding that new grounds are been broken.

“We are on top of the situation as a technological minded institution. Electricity will soon improve tremendously in the coming days, as we are simultaneously breaking new grounds through a three-pronged (triangular) approach to the development of a viable power mix: development of a mini-hydro turbine at the Gbokoto river corridor; connection to a dedicated line from Papalanto; and expansion of renewable energy generation within the School”.

The Rector stated further that the opportunity of work-study has been created for students such that light jobs will be available for indigent students.

“To assist indigent students, in line with global practices, we are committed to opening up work-study, and creating opportunities for light jobs while studying at the Polytechnic. This starts immediately as the DSA -led Committee has submitted its reports, it has been approved by the Academic Board and Polytechnic Management Committee (PMC) for implantation”.

As an incentive for serious, brilliant students and hardworking staff, the Rector and the School management have added value to the extant awards: Best Graduating Students and Performing Staff Awards.

“We would continue our policy to reward excellent performances by improving our extant Best Graduating Students Awards. Recognizing the nexus between staff and staff motivation and student’s well being, we have institutionalised the Best Lecturer of the Year Award, Best Non-teaching Staff of the Year Award, and Best Outsourced Staffers of the Year Award.

“In the same vein, we shall continue to offer support to our staff with respect to local PhDs and Master. All of the foregoing is in a bid to improve your well-being, performance, and academic experiences”.

Earlier, the Rector, having taken cognizance of gender equity, announced 8,171 as total numbers of matriculated students; 3,167 for 34 programmes (ND 1), 2,523 for 5 programmes (HND 1) and 2,481 for 15 programmes admitted into the School of Part-Time Studies.

He however implored the Matriculants to be of good conducts and law abiding.

“Whatever the challenges some of you could be passing through or eventually pass through, do not lose focus. On no account should you seek solace in cultism, drug abuse, cybercrime, malpractice, prostitution, examination malpractice, suicide, and other vices that can darken your bright future. Believe in yourself, and trust God that your future is bright, impossibility is not in the dictionary of God. You are your only limitation to success, fear not”, Dr Akinde stated.

AN ADDRESS BY THE RECTOR, DR. M. A. AKINDE, FCA, ACTI, AT THE 27TH MATRICULATION CEREMONY OF THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, ILARO HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023 AT THE PAVILLION GROUND

Protocols

The Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr. Mrs. Veronica Ogbuagu,

Most Distinguished Members of the Governing Council,
Deputy Rector Academics and Admin,
Registrar
Polytechnic Librarian
Bursar
Deans of Schools,
Members of the Academic Board (HODs and Chief Lecturers)
Directors and Heads of Units,
Matriculating Students,
Gentlemen of the Press,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

As a curtain raiser, all thanks and adorations go to the Greatest, Allah! The Most High, The Most Beneficial Who in His Mercy and Grace presented me the golden opportunity to be alive as the 6th Rector of the Polytechnic with the best track records in Nigeria. Thus, I sujud (sajdah), prostrate before Allah to say thank you for the opportunity to serve the Polytechnic.

In another vein, I am most delighted to use this window to munificently thank my benefactors and the key actors: His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, May Allah continue to bestow him good health and strengthen him as he is rounding off the tenure on May 29, 2023; similarly, I am profoundly grateful to the highly dutiful and discipline Hon. Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, my amiable and Most Distinguished Chairman of the Council, Dr. Ogbuagu Veronica, other Council Members and the immediate past Rector, Arc. Olusegun Olanrewaju Aluko, Ph.D for the confidence reposed in me on my appointment as the 6th Rector of best Polytechnic in Nigeria, The Federal Polytechnic Ilaro.

Also, I am exceedingly grateful to the Olu of Ilaro and the Paramount Ruler of Yewa Land, Oba ESV Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, the Asade Agunloye IV, the ‘Kabiyesis’ of all the towns in Yewa South and North corridors, the High Chiefs and other important personalities, politicians, civil servants, public servants, childhood friends, classmates, Imams, Pastors and my entire kinsmen in Ilaro for your prayers, physical and financial backings during the processes that led to my appointment as the substantive Rector of the greatest Polytechnic in Nigeria.

It is with great pleasure and happiness that I welcome you all to the 27th Matriculation Ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro for the 2022/2023 academic session. The registration exercise for the new students is being concluded and remains concluded after today’s matriculation.

From our records, a total of 11,502 ND 1 students chose the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro as the Most Preferred Institution with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), but due to the quota system from the JAMB, only 3,167 representing 28.28% of the candidates were lucky to have the ND 1 admission into 34 programmes across five (5) Schools of the Polytechnic. Hence, a total of 8,341 representing 72.52% were unsuccessful in 2022/2023 academic session. The Polytechnic, today, remains the most sought-after at the JAMB. There were 3,515 applicants for the HND 1 programmes across the five (5) Schools, 2,523 representing 71.78% were admitted and 992 representing 28.22% not admitted. A total of 3,887 applied for 15 programmes in the School of Part-Time Studies, 2,481 representing 64.66% were admitted and 1,356 representing 35.34% were not admitted. Thus, on the authority of the Academic Board, I congratulate you all on your camel passing through the eye of the needle. To demonstrate the love of females in Polytechnic Education, I have carefully deployed Tables 1-4 to reveal the gender analysis of today’s matriculants.

Table 1: Statistics of Admission 2022/2023 Academic Session
S/N
SCHLS
DEPTS
ND 1
HND 1
PT 1
SUB TOT
TOT
REM

M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F

1
SCIT
4
147
217
89
237
146
194
382
648
1030
LIS,MC

MT, OTM

2
SE
7
465
36
295
67
371
77
1131
180
1311
ABET, CE,CME

EE,ME,MT,WF

3
SES
8
417
145
158
58
0
0
575
203
778
ART, ARC, BLD

EMV, QS,S &G

TRP

4
SMS
8**
337
624
383
695
602
656
1322
1975
3297
ACC, BF, BA

INS, MKT, TAX

PAD, GNS**

5
SPAS
8
249
524
146
395
199
236
594
1155
1749
AGT, CS, FT

HMT, LT,MS

NUD, SLT

TOT ADM

1615
1546
1071
1452
1318
1163

8165
ND, HND, PT1

6
SPS
15

1,318
1,163

2,481
MC,OTM,CE,CE

EE,ME, W&F

ACC, BF,BA,INS

MKT, PAD,TAX

CS, SLT

Source: Self Compilation from Admission figures obtained from ERT’s Office 2023

Table 2: Summary of ND 1 Admission based on JAMB Quota
S/N
Gender
Total JAMB Admission

1
M
1,615

2
F
1,546

Total Based on Quota
3,161

Total JAMB Applicants
11,502

Applicants not Admitted on Quota Basis
8,341

% of Applicants not Admitted Based on Quota
72.52

% of Applicants Admitted Based on Quota
27.48

Source: Self Compilation from Admission figures obtained from ERT’s Office 2023
Table 3: Summary of HND 1 Admission based on Carrying Capacity
S/N
Gender
Total HND 1 Admission

1
M
1,071

2
F
1,452

Total HND 1admitted Based On Carrying Capacity
2,523

Total HND 1 Applicants
3,515

HND 1 Not Admitted
992

% of HND 1 Admitted
71.78

% of HND 1 Not Admitted
28.22

Source: Self Compilation from Admission figures obtained from ERT’s Office 2023
Table 4: Summary of PT 1 Admission based on Carrying CapacityS/N
Gender
Total PT 1 Admission

1
M
1,318

2
F
1,163

Total PT 1 Admitted Based on Carrying Capacity
2,481

Total PT 1 Applicants
3,837

Total PT 1 Not Admitted
1,356

% of PT 1 Admitted
64.66

% of PT 1 Not Admitted
35.34

PT 1 Admission Offer Accepted
3,244

PT 1 Admission Offer not Accepted
593

% of Pt Admission with offer Accepted
84.55

% Pt 1 Admission with offer not Accepted
15.45

Source: Self Compilation from Admission figures obtained from ERT’s Office 2023
To this end, once again, I congratulate you for being found worthy of admission into our great citadel of knowledge.

I recognize all parents and guardians that have influenced their wards and children to select us as their first choice, most especially those of you here today witnessing this historic event.  We appreciate the confidence you have reposed in us for our academic excellence in serene environment and rating in the knowledge economy. I equally appreciate the past Management of the institution for affording us the headstart. My immediate predecessor, Arc Olusegun Aluko, PhD, his management team, and all members of staff are profoundly appreciated for tremendously projecting the image by bequeathing to the new management, students, and staff the toga and pride, which effectively committed us to endeavor to push further remarkable achievements of the Polytechnic. Undoubtedly, the efforts of our past leaders, the immediate past Rector and other Rectors have culminated in making us the most sought-after in Nigeria. The purpose of this Matriculation exercise is to expose you to the core values, norms, and ethos, driven by the quest for academic excellence and morality, that make us stand out as first in the comity of polytechnics.  I also intend to take advantage of this event to acquaint you with the steps we are taking to leverage the milestones and the paths of my predecessors and the opening of new frontiers in the quest to improve our service delivery and impacts. As fresh students, it is expected that you will not just subject yourselves to the culture that has made the polytechnic attractive to you and your parents, you must be committed to your studies and fully justify your selection out of the lot that had sought admission in our noble institution. To this extent, your lawful participation in all institutional activities must be geared towards improving the enviable profile of your polytechnic.

REGISTRATION

Registration is the first step towards completing your admission into the Polytechnic.  Already, you should have completed your registrations, as you are not considered our students until you are fully registered. In tertiary institutions, Matriculation signals the end of an admission exercise. Therefore, on behalf of the Academic Board of this Polytechnic, every admitted student in ND 1, HND 1, and PT 1 who did not accept the offer as well as completing the registration forfeits the studentship of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State. Also, let me reiterate here that ND2 and HND 2 registration closes the second week of April so that the Management can effectively plan for the examination.

SKILL ACQUISITION FOR SELF-RELIANCE

The Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, keying into Nigeria’s 2050 agenda’s strategies for innovation and enterprise as the means for unleashing the potential of young people, has established the Entrepreneurship Development and Skill Acquisition Centre (EDASAC). The Centre affords opportunities for skill acquisition in vocations such as aluminum works, catering services, website design, bag making, cell phone and computer repairs, block molding and interlocking stone making, shoemaking, bead and wire works, and venue decoration, among others.  It also offers the opportunity for business opportunities and the development of various trades. It is compulsory for all students to choose any of the available vocational skills. Our school boasts of being the first Polytechnic in Nigeria to have established a Driving School, which is certified and approved by the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Vehicle Inspectorate Office. The driving school offers an opportunity for those of you whose courses require proficiency in driving to take driving lessons.
Moreover, the Polytechnic has established an Innovation Centre to nurture the capacity of students with respect to the knowledge and skills of programming, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), drone manufacturing and flying, requisite for eliminating labour-intensive repetitive tasks, and essentially preparing students for the disruptive demands of the future of work and the unfolding fourth industrial revolution. Towards making our students compliant with global best practices, in a Post-Covid-19 world, our students are afforded E-learning platforms like CISCO professional training designed to make them digitally competitive in the world of work. The E-Learning platforms as directed by the NBTE will soon be introduced in a few courses. Let me also inform you that our ODfel, where lectures are received without classrooms online, is developing fast under the Director of ODfel, Dr. Mrs. Oduntan, O. E.

DISCIPLINE, THE HANDBOOK, AND THE PROCEDURE FOR EXPRESSING GRIEVANCES

You are expected to exhibit a high sense of discipline while in the Polytechnic. It is zero-tolerance for indiscipline of any kind. Cultism is sacrilege and forbidden without mercy. The Polytechnic will not award its certificates to students found wanting in character, even when their competence in learning is impressive. No matter how brilliant you are, in life, nothing can be achieved without discipline, respect for laws, and orderliness. The rules governing discipline in the Polytechnic are well captured in the Student Handbook, which all of you are expected to be in possession of. The following are some of the acts that are deemed as gross indiscipline, which you are enjoined to avoid:

-Cheating during examinations.
Stealing, drug abuse, sexual immorality, and disobedience to lawful instructions.
Cultism, zero tolerance to cultism. Unregistered associations of any form are prohibited. There is no impunity, once you are caught, you will be sent packing from the Polytechnic without minding whose ox is gored. As a student here from 1989-1994, I make bold to say that I did not belong to any unregistered association on or off campus.
Crossing the Lawns is forbidden.
Littering on the Campus is not allowed.
Writing graffiti on walkways and indiscriminate posting of posters.
Indecent dressings in the form of sagging, revealing clothes, coloured hair, body hugs, face cap, and a T-shirt with strange and vulgar inscriptions.
In any circumstance, students cannot drive any of the official vehicles, or misuse properties of the Polytechnic.

The Directorate of Students’ Affairs, the Polytechnic Internal Inspector General Office in charge of all students on and off campus will soon address some of the forbidden behaviours in the Polytechnic. Please, endeavour to listen with rapt attention.
While on campus, grievances are inevitable. However, the right thing for aggrieved students to do is to go through the institutional channel for reporting grievances instead of taking the law into their hands.

STUDENTS’ WELFARE

Students and staff welfare are at the highest floor of my heart, thus, the management under my leadership shall continue to improve on service deliveries that border these major stakeholders. With respect to health, our newly upgraded clinic, which was purposely built to be close to all students’ hostels, would continue to offer top-notch 24/7 services for students and staff. We shall continue to improve the sanitary situation of our hostels and learning environment and ensure that water provision is constant. When it comes to transportation, our shuttle buses shall continue to offer services at subsidised costs to students and, as a matter of fact, offer free services to students during examinations.

The supply of electricity on campus presents a serious conundrum, especially since the cost of diesel per litre is in the neighbourhood of ₦825-N900. On the average, the Polytechnic manages to spend ₦8,250,000 to ₦9,000,000 (10,000 litres) every 10-12 days to supply electricity for a few hours daily. Ladies and gentlemen, the rising cost of electricity and providing alternative energy continues to take its toll on our limited financial resources. As a result of this obvious quandary, on my assumption of office on October 11, 2023, I put in place a Power Generation Committee, headed by a renowned Power Generation Engineer, a very senior Chief Lecturer, Engr, C. U. Okoye to provide a solution to the problem of epileptic power supply from the national grid. We are on track. The Committee has submitted a preliminary report, which proffers short-run, medium, and long-term solutions to the electricity challenges of the Polytechnic. The Management has implemented the affordable medium-term solution offered by the Committee.
Consequently, there is little improvement in the electricity supply, especially at night. By the Grace of God, the medium-term solution will soon be implemented to take the Polytechnic line directly from the feeder station at the Papa-Lanto substation as well as connecting IBD line from Oke-Ela.

In summary, we are on top of the situation as a technologically minded institution. Electricity supply will soon improve tremendously in the coming days, as we are simultaneously breaking new grounds through a three-pronged (triangular) approach to the development of a viable power mix:  development of a mini-hydro turbine at the Gbokoto river corridor; connection to a dedicated line from Papalanto; and expansion of renewable energy generation within the school.

To assist indigent students, in line with global practices, we are committed to opening up work-study, and creating opportunities for light jobs while studying at the Polytechnic. This starts immediately as the DSA-led Committee has submitted its reports, it has been approved by the Academic Board and Polytechnic Management Committee (PMC) for implementation.

We would continue our policy to reward excellent performances by improving our extant Best Graduating Students Awards. Recognizing the nexus between staff motivation and students’ well-being, we have institutionalized the Best Lecturer of the Year Award, Best Non-teaching Staff of the Year Award, and Best Outsourced Staffers of the Year Award. In the same vein, we shall continue to offer support to our staff with respect to local PhDs and Masters. All of the foregoing is in a bid to improve your well-being, performance, and academic experiences.

SMART POLYTECHNIC

In line with global best practices and in a bid to accurately capture data for planning and improving students’ performances, we intend to start using biometric ID cards in the Polytechnic. We plan to monitor the attendance of our students in the classrooms and examination, movement and behaviour in the classrooms, hostels, library, and sporting activities. I am proud to inform you that The Federal Polytechnic Ilaro has the best centralised examination system because many tertiary institutions have come to copy the system. I am committed to further strengthening the examination system, which is our selling point. Thus, I enjoin all new and old students to prepare very well for the forthcoming 2022/2023 first semester examination. This is because the seating arrangements across all classrooms have been automated through the efforts Dr. Mrs. Oduntan O.E. of the Computer Science Department and the Chairman Examination Committee, Surveyor Adedokun, A. M. of Survey and Geo-Informatics Department. All students will henceforth seat across all classrooms at random using the new software developed with python code.

Similarly, the lecture time-table, and examination time-table have been automated by Dr. Olaiju Olusegun-led Committee using Java Script. By the Grace of Almighty Allah, the objective of the immediate former Rector, Arc. Olusegun Olanrewaju Aluko, Ph.D of making this Polytechnic a smart and paperless Polytechnic will be achieved once we solve the challenges of electricity.

LIBRARY

You are expected to take full advantage of the Polytechnic’s state-of-the-art library. The library has up-to-date facilities and equally offers electronic library services. You are expected to register with the library and use its facilities for your own benefit.

STUDENTS’ UNION GOVERNMENT, MEMBERSHIP OF UNIONS, CLUBS, ASSOCIATIONS, SOCIETIES, etc.

Student Unionism is an important component of your learning curve. To this extent, we encourage you to engage meaningfully with the activities of the Union, without undermining the main objective of your stay on campus.  For those of you who would be motivated to contest leadership positions in the Students’ Union Government in the future, you must consider it an opportunity to be exposed to responsible leadership, civil engagements, and the democratic process. I must commend the immediate past President, Mr. Ogunsan Joshua of HND 2 Electrical and Electronics Department, members of the Executive, the Speaker, and the Students’ Representative Council for continuous engagement with the Management and responsible Union Leadership. It is my prayer that you will all be greater than me in your life sojourn, Ameen. The Greatest Nigerian Students! Please, you should participate in Student Unionism, and join only registered associations on campus freely without compromising respect for constituted authority and causing unnecessary interruption to the Polytechnic’s stable academic calendar, one of the selling points that make us the most sought-after Polytechnic in Nigeria. Moreover, associations and groups that register with the Directorate of Student Affairs will continue to be afforded the latitude to operate peacefully on campus. Again, we do not permit the activities of antisocial/cultist groups. In particular, membership in cult groups is outrightly prohibited. Offenders will be summarily expelled.

USE OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA

It is without a doubt that social media has become an important tool of engagement for young people. While social media can be deployed for edifying and productive reasons, it can also become a source of distraction and a contributor to academic failure. Its abuse in form of hacking, phishing, scam, identity theft, cyber-attacks, internet fraud, spoofing, and stealing of ATMs, password among other related cyber-crimes are serious offenses that may lead to you being expelled as well as result in scandals and shame for you and your family. So, say no to a crime of any form on and off- campus. Please, remember how your parents are struggling to pay your bills at the Polytechnic, so do away with all cyber-crimes, cultism, and other social vices, which can terminate your education suddenly.  Accordingly, you are strongly advised to deploy social media moderately and for only positive things. On no account should you publish or post contents that can be a source of shame to you, your parents, and your institution.

SPORTS

Recreational activities and sports are deemed important aspects of tertiary education as they afford the mental and emotional development of the body. This is why we encourage our students to participate in sporting activities within and outside the campus. Our support for sports is foremost evident in the excellent performances of our contingent at the Nigerian Polytechnic Games as well as the performances of our numerous graduates excelling in sundry sporting activities all over the world. With adequate funding from the Federal Government, Management intends to complete the indoor sporting center as well as upgrade the football field to a mini stadium so that students can interact positively on and off campus.

EXPANSION OF PROGRAMMES

In the quest to expand the window of access to our qualitative education to the Nigerian youthful population, we are intensifying the establishment of new programmes across schools. In fact, emerging programmes will come in Agriculture, Cement Technology, Engineering, Pure and Applied Sciences, Environmental, and Management Studies. The School of Agriculture will be established with new roads opened to link the existing campus to the fringe where the facility is envisaged in the school’s Strategic Plan. We also envisage unbundling the School of Pure and Applied Sciences into two (2) Schools: The School of Pure Sciences and the School of Applied Sciences to have a total of eight Schools in the Polytechnic.

EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE INSTITUTION’S PROFIT CENTRES

As a strategic response to the challenge of dwindling resources in our sector in the face of spiral and stag- inflation, we intend to intensify our enterprise by expanding and improving on the activities of the Poly Consult and Industrial Services Limited, the Entrepreneurship Development and Skills Acquisition Center and our Agroneural services. We intend to break new ground through a franchise of basic household items, and expand the water factory and bakery. We seek your cooperation with respect to the patronage of the Polytechnic’s products and brands. Also, after the expansion of the existing profit centers of the Polytechnic, just like it is being done in other tertiary institutions, the Management intends to create a monopoly of business interest on campus with a view to maximizing prosperity for the students, staff, the Council and the government through payment of relevant taxes as and when due.

POLYTECHNIC-COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP

By virtue of limited spaces for accommodation on campus, it is inevitable that some of you will stay off campus. Let me seize this opportunity to inform you that an age-long cordial relationship exists between our Polytechnic and its host community. I, therefore, enjoin you to sustain this relationship by living peacefully with your host and abiding strictly by their rules and regulations.

My dear students, once again, I want to, at this juncture de-masquerade myself to you as an alumnus of this great Polytechnic. Like you, I had the opportunity to have been matriculated in this manner, sometime in the year 1989/1990 Academic Session when I was in ND 1 Accountancy and graduated in 1993 HND Accountancy with Lower Credit. I did not allow the lower credit to perturb me from not only qualifying in record time as a Chartered Accountant, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, went to Olabisi Onabanjo University with Second Class Upper in Economics, University of Ibadan, M.Sc. Economics, University of Lagos, M.Sc. Finance (Ph.D) grades and Ph.D Finance at Covenant University. The journey was tough. It took a great deal of hard work, focus, and consistent fixation on upward mobility to have attained this feat. I want to assure you that you can match my achievements and even surpass it by becoming future consummate administrators in all walks of life. You can become Directors, Ministers, Governors, and Presidents. This Polytechnic had produced great Leaders too numerous to mention. Do you know that Ayodele Fayose was a former SLT student of this Polytechnic? Whatever the challenges some of you could be passing through or eventually pass through, do not lose focus. On no account should you seek solace in cultism, drug abuse, cybercrime, malpractice, prostitution, examination malpractice, suicide, and other vices that can darken your bright future. Believe in yourself, and trust God that your future is bright, impossibility is not in the dictionary of God. You are your only limitation to success, fear not.

APPRECIATION

The Polytechnic has remained a functioning entity because of the support it has been getting from different quarters. Foremost, we are grateful to the Federal Government of Nigeria for funding activities and projects that make us functional as the most sought-after Polytechnic in Nigeria. The interventions of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) and other funding bodies have been invaluable in our quest for infrastructural expansion, human capacity development, and programmes expansion. We profoundly appreciate our supervisory bodies, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Federal Ministry of Education. Similarly, we appreciate the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, The National Youth Service Corps, The West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and other regulatory bodies that the Polytechnic relates with to achieve its objectives.
We are grateful to our Governing Council, ably led by Dr. (Mrs.) Veronica Efetemere Ogbuagu for the wisdom and resourcefulness that have so far been deployed in the direction of our affairs. We appreciate our father, our chief host, the Olu of Ilaro and the Paramount Ruler of Yewa Land, Oba ESV Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, the Asade Agunloye IV for his nonpareil efforts at intervening in our development and promoting peace between the Polytechnic and the community. Let me also appreciate colleagues in the Management, the Academic Board, leaders of in-house unions, staff, and students who have effectively operationalised our ideals, vision, and mission. Without these stakeholders, the Polytechnic would not have achieved the current ranking in the comity of Polytechnics beating the like of Yaba College of Technology, Kaduna Polytechnic, and Ibadan Polytechnic among other notable first and second-generation Polytechnics. It is difficult to maintain the topmost position, to sustain the momentum, as we will be out with various innovations, I solicit support from the Greatest Nigerian Students, the Academic Board, the Polytechnic Management Committee, the unions, staff, and the Council of this great institution.

I cannot conclude this address without informing, though with heavy heart, but in total submission to the Will of God, the demise of the 4th Rector of this Polytechnic, Dr. Raheem Adisa Oloyo, a great builder and mentor and an academic per excellence whose death occurred on Tuesday, February 28, 2023,

Dr. Oloyo alongside others laid the strong foundation for this great institution. Though death, posterity will continue to remember him for all his developmental strides on this campus. While wishing him a perfect peaceful rest, I wish to request that we all stand and observe a minute silence in his honour. May the gentle soul of Dr. Raheem Adisa Oloyo rest in peace. Ameen.

CONCLUSION

I wish to reiterate that your choice of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro is a wise one. We are committed to ensuring that all the necessary skills that would make you total and self-sufficient students are imparted in you before graduation.

Once again, congratulations on your matriculation. I wish you a peaceful and productive stay on campus.

Thank you and God bless.

Dr. M. A. Akinde, PhD, FCA, ACTI

Rector, The Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro,
Ogun State.