The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has ordered the closure of all satellite campuses of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu across the state.
This, Fashola said, was in consonance with the directive of the National Board for Technical Education, the supervisory agency for all polytechnics and monotechnics in the country.
Fashola said this during the inauguration of the first phase of LASPOTECH College of Technology Complex on Thursday.
The governor was represented by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule at the occasion.
He added that the decision was also aimed at enhancing quality and sound delivery of technical and vocational education in the state.
But as the announcement was made, most workers including lecturers of the polytechnic protested in hushed tones.
They told our correspondent that the decision would affect the fortunes of the institution as a large percentage of the institution’s internally generated revenue was derived from the banned campuses.
“It is going to affect all of us. Some of us get extra pay for working at the satellite campuses, the polytechnic get a large percentage of its IGR from the programmes while a lot of Nigerians who love higher education but could not get it through the conventional institutions would also be denied of the opportunity offer by the campuses,” the anonymous lecturer said.
He added that what would make it more difficult for the polytechnic was that the state government would not increase allocation to the polytechnic.
The LASPOTECH Rector, Dr. Abdulazeez Lawal, though expressed similar view, he added that the decision would not affect the college in any negative way.
“It’s a well thought out decision. But let me say that the policy is not a state government policy, it is from the NBTE. What the state government is doing is just to say, we are for quality education delivery. We will support it. It’s going to bring the creativity in us and we will ensure that our IGR is not affected negatively as a result of this,” he said.
When asked whether the state government would increase funding to the polytechnic as a result of the action, Adebule was non-committal. She just said the state government had shown enough commitment to the development of education and it would not stop its efforts to uplift education at all levels in the state.
Earlier, Adebule had commended the governing council of the polytechnic led by Prof. Simeon Ajose for their efforts to reposition the institution.
She explained that the first phase of the complex would serve as lecture rooms for students and offices for members of staff.
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