Kidnapping: Lalong Orders Security Beef Up at Plateau Polytechnic
Seriki Adinoyi
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau has directed the Governing Board and Management of the polytechnic in Barkin Ladi to ensure that the institution’s security is tightened to avoid students’ kidnapping.
The governor stated this at the 2012/2013 to 2020/2021 combined convocation ceremony of the polytechnic held at the institution’s main campus at Barkin Ladi.
He demanded that all the porous areas around the school campus be fortified, and the students also carried along in the security architecture of the institution.
The governor also expressed displeasure at the polytechnic’s inability to conduct convocation ceremonies in eight years.
Lalong said, “This unacceptable situation informed the government’s directive and approval for today’s convocation to hold, which offers the institution the opportunity to immediately clear all the backlog of graduation and certificate awards.“
He directed all state-owned tertiary institutions to hold convocation ceremonies at the end of each academic year.
“This is a sure way of building confidence, maintaining standards and motivating the graduands to pursue their careers with zeal and contribute to the development of the state and nation at large,” added the governor.
Lalong also addressed staff turnover, financial liability to part-time lecturers, accreditation and re-accreditation of programmes by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), renovation and upgrading of infrastructure, laboratories and workshops, etc.
“We are also working very hard to ensure that all labour issues concerning the staff of the Polytechnic are addressed once and for all in order to forestall strikes that have become a major setback to sustaining a stable academic calendar,” he assured.
