Ibadan poly embarks on construction of 72- room office complex for N458m

The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo state, has embarked on the construction of a 72- room office complex project for its lecturers within the campus of the  institution at the cost of N458 million.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony on Monday, the Rector of the institution, Prof. Kazeem Adebiyi, described the project as one which marks a new dawn for all staff, adding that it would solve the office accommodation problem  in the institution.

The office complex, named after Governor Seyi Makinde, according to the Rector, is part of the requirements for accreditation, adding that “for accreditation you need to have adequate offices for members of staff, that’s why we conceive the vision to have this project.”

“The project that we are turning the sod today is titled  Engr. Seyi Makinde Academic Office Complex . The project has provision for standard  72 offices for chief lecturer status of academic staff. The project  is one of the provisions by the institution to solve the problem of offices for the lecturers and this is part of requirements for accreditation, because for accreditation you need to have adequate offices for members of staff.

“When the idea was conceived, we approach the government and the government of Engr. Seyi Makinde supported our vision and provided adequate support for us in terms of funding the project”, he said.

The brief ceremony, which was held beside the Faculty of Environmental Studies signaled the commencement of work with 36 weeks  as expected completion period.

“The projected cost of the project for now is about N458 million. It is a big project. Based on the contractor, the completion period is 36 weeks, that’s about 9 months”, Adebiyi explained.

While commending the state government for supporting the vision, the Rector, however, assured of the institution’s readiness to carefully monitor the contractor to ensuring due compliance with contract specification and in record time.

Also commenting, the Governing Council Chairman of the institution, Prof. Kunle Akinyemi, who identified office accommodation as one of the major problems of the institution, described the project as one of the council’s remarkable achievements.

Akinyemi declared that the welfare of staff would be the council’s top priority, noting that the project would go a long way, in motivating and driving development process in the institution.

“This star – studded governing council – this is one of the remarkable achievements for us. Taking care of staff and their office accommodation is also very important and symbolic. How can staff be managing and squatting with one another. With the provision of this kind of office complex, staff would be free to man their affairs in their offices “, he said.

The scholar, thereafter, urged government at all levels to allocate reasonable per cent of the budget to education, in order to increase the pace of development in the country.

“Because if more money is allocated they will be able to provide the resources for learning and the environment for learning will be conducive for students to learn and develop to the best potential”, Professor Akinyemi submitted.

Earlier in his remarks, the state’s commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barr. Abiodun Abdul-Rahman lauded the governor for identifying with the institution, stressing that the initiative will not only add values to the citadel of learning, but also targeted at providing  succor to its staff.

The commissioner, represented by the Deputy Director, Higher Education, Mrs.  Adeola Ademuyiwa , noted that the multimillionaire project was the beginning of greater things in the institution.