AN ADDRESS BY ALHAJI MUSA AYINLA YEKETI, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

I wish to give all the praises to the Almighty Allah the Creator of all the worlds.

When the governing Council was constituted in June, 2008, the polytechnic was in a state of turmoil as a result of the agitation of the various unions for the implementation of the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CONTISS). With God on our side,

we were able to weather the turbulent storm and today there is calm. Kwara Poly now enjoys relative peace as staff and students go about their lawful tasks and assignments without let or hindrance.

I want to assure staff, student and other interest groups that this council has a vision. It is our mission to be the leading polytechnic in Nigeria. The second best in Africa and among the top ten globally. We are not relying on our past glory. On the contrary, we are geared towards the present of potentiality and a future of possibility.

We have elected to be driven in this mission by the plethora of goodwill understanding commitment, devotion, dedication which this council has been able to garner from all and sundry. We promise not to waiver or be distracted by any untoward event(s).

We intend to attract and sustain the best academics in the polytechnic. As much as possible, our human capital development programmed shall endeavor to give needed impetus training and retraining-to all our academic staff so that the quality of our diplomats will be enhanced. We shall give equitable compensation for any extra effort on the part of our staff while commensurate albeit competitive remuneration shall be paid to all categories of staff.

Aside from remuneration and compensation, our motivational policy is hinged on our concern for emotionally-balanced individuals while will strive for excellence. In this wise, our welfare package attract such issues as staff housing, car loan, medical facilities, emergency loan, etcetera.

We promise our students a hitch-free academic session. Our pledge to parents is that their wards\children shall be imparted with the best technological education. There will be value for money spent on their children.

We now utilize information and communication technology (ICT) very extensively. In fact, our intention is to conduct all our affairs through the instrumentality of ICT. The reason is not far to seek-we live in the information age which is knowledge-based and technologically driven. We have decided to confront challenges with confidence and determination to the extent that we are not weakened by little problems but are strengthened by them.

Kwara state polytechnic has been around for over three decades now and is poised to be the reference point for excellence in technological education in Nigeria. The kwara state government under the able, dynamic, visionary and indefatigable leadership of his Excellency Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki who is also the visitor the college has been very supportive of this council in particular and the polytechnic in general. With this, this council under my humble chairmanship is in a hurry to transform the polytechnic beyond the dreams of its founding fathers.

There is no gain saying the fact that kwara state is blessed with this god-sent young man with positive developmental ideas to steer the strip of the state at this time.When the educational reform agenda of this government was unfolded, many skeptics and professional critics never gave it a chance. They thought it was one of those “Reforms” to impress the gullible citizens. But everyone knows better today that it is a reform meant to transform kwara’s educational sector to greater heights.

The agenda does not exclude kwara state polytechnic. This council will be credited with its faithful implementation of the reform agenda as it affects the institution. A lot has been done and will still be done to reposition kwara poly, restructure it in such a way that its transformation will be the envy of all.

We appreciate where we are today. We know where we want to be tomorrow, we have begun the journey and we shall get to the destination without any hitch.

We have improved upon our internally generated revenue (IGR) and we shall continue to enhance its profile from time to time.

The improvement in our internally generated revenue has resulted in the upgrading of our infrastructural status. A cursory look at the campus of the polytechnic now reveals activities in many areas: lecture halls are being built; laboratories are being created and equipped, the equipment profile of the institution is being optimized.

With improvement in our IGR and constant support of the kwara state government, we shall be the polytechnic to beat in delivering value technological education in Nigeria.

In less than six months of setting down to serious business, it is being acknowledges that this is a dynamic council with a focus for reengineering the institution for excellence. In another six months, the story will be positively different as the seeds we have planted now +would have been blossoming for everyone to appreciate. Our imagination has been the result of the creativity which has manifested. This is a council of possibility and not probability.

We appreciate it that some of our decision may not receive popular accolades within the polytechnic. This is not unexpected.
People are naturally a versed to charge-even those charges that will be of benefit to them. We are not distracted by this negative reception. After all, efficiency is all about doing thins right. In the same vein, effectiveness is all about doing the right thing.

It is the council’s belief that there are two paths-one to possible riches and the other to eventual ruin. The onus is on us to choose the right path to possible riches. We occupy the drivers seat, thus, our vision is clearer than that of the passenger.

Ultimately, our desire is to motivate and mobilize everyone so as to accomplish the tasks we have set ourselves.

My plea to everyone is to play our part well and cooperate with the governing council in its onerous mission of engineering the institution towards excellence. The mission is real as it has taken a life of its own. It is a moving target which is extremely difficult to aim at. It cannot derail as on one can derail it. I can feel it, I can see it. We can all realize it together.