A group known as Owo Descendants Group, has said it has read with dismay a fairytale being circulated by some faceless individuals who are on the prowl to discredit the Governing Council of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo and Barrister Banji Alabi, Chairman of the Governing Council.
Acoording to the group, We would have ignored this to avoid giving their campaign of calumny a honour, but it is pertinent to put the record straight to prevent innocent citizens from being misled.
"Rufus Giwa Polytechnic has been an enviable citadel of learning with landmark achievements by both products of the institution and lecturers and other members of staff of the polytechnic community.
"It is important to remind our well-wishers that this is the season of political meandering and political jobbers would do anything to burrow into prominence in order to grab whatever they can.
"We as a group and stakeholder in the institution and Owo kingdom have observed that the Polytechnic is focused on how to make tremendous contributions to the society through researches and findings for the betterment of the citizenry in line with the aspirations of the founding fathers of the institution.
"The series of concocted stories and manufactured scenarios and figures flaunted by the political almajiris unleached on the Governing Council of the Polytechnic and its chairman by some individuals with inordinate ambition to hijack and run the institution as a fiefdom are no longer new or hidden strategies to well-meaning indigenes of Ondo State.
"We want to remind all well-wishers of the Polytechnic that on the day of inauguration of Barrister Banji Alabi as the chairman of Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu disclosed that the institution was at its lowest ebb and wanted Barrister Banji Alabi to use his wealth of experience and connections to turn around the school.
"Barrister Banji Alabi worked for 24 years in one of the biggest Multi-national Oil companies in the world as a senior management staff overseeing millions of US dollars and voluntarily took the early retirement option without any blemish to start legal practice and real estate development business.
"Within the period of inauguration of the Barrister Banji Alabi-led Governing Council, landmark achievements have been recorded by the Polytechnic.
"Among these are the Polytechnic has been ranked as one of the best nine in Nigeria in 2020, Huawei ICT Academy was established on the campus, there has been Internet penetration on the campus, the damaged ICT Centre has been reequipped, water bottling factory and Bakery were renovated and construction of perimeter fence, payment of backlog of staff salaries of nine months which now remains four months.
"Others are completion of E-Test Centre building, construction of FSSCS Building, FAT Building, Rectory Building, Registry Building, Bursary Building and establishment and installation of transmission equipment for Rugipo Radio, which is first of its kind in Owo kingdom.
"Tetfund overseas/local training for large number of members of staff, Tetfund scholarship to large number of members of staff to pursue PhD/MsC in local and foreign universities, collaboration with one of the best universities in Nigeria to commence degree programmes from October/November 2020, State-of-the-art Tech hub have been approved for the school and the construction is ongoing, besides unprecedented ongoing Federal Government infrastructure development in the school, including a power plant are among other achievements of the Barrister Banji Alabi-led Governing Council.
"However, we urge Barrister Banji Alabi and other members of the Governing Council not to be distracted by the activities of enemies of the Polytechnic including the faceless group circulating spurious allegations against the authorities of the institution.
"They should rather focus on how to see the institution reopen for operations now that the COVID-19 pandemic incidents are dwindling.
"They should also continue to see welfare of members of staff as paramount and not shy away from seeing everyone being protected.
"As we look forward to the reopening of the institution, we implore all members of the Polytechnic community to adhere strictly to all COVID-19 pandemic protocol to prevent the spread of the deadly virus on the campus.
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