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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic (formerly Abia State Polytechnic), Aba has banned the sale of text books by lecturers and making the buying of any text book compulsory for students.
This is even as management has intensified efforts to rid the institution of corrupt staff.
These were disclosed by the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Christopher Okoro during a pre-convocation press briefing held at the Umungasi campus of the institution. The convocation ceremony comes up on Thursday.
Dr. Okoro informed that the ban on sale of text books was part of measures put in place to stop the continued exploitation and extortion of students by lecturers as was the case before he took over as Rector.
The Rector said anyone found contravening the order, would be shown the exit door.
When asked if the ban will not negatively affect the lecturers’ output and by extension retard teaching and learning in the poly, Okoro said the lecturers were not in the first place employed as book sellers but as teachers to impact knowledge on students.
“The lecturers were not in the first place employed as textbook sellers, but teachers to impact knowledge on students.”
He assured that no lecturer would suffer any deprivation as a result of the ban since Government is paying them their salaries and other allowances as and when due.
Okoro disclosed that the management under his watch has made the learning and acquisition of skills compulsory for every student of the polytechnic before graduation.
He explained that time was gone when students depend only on their certificates to fend for themselves, stressing the need for the students to learn skills that will make them become self reliant on graduation.
The Rector informed of the management’s efforts of clearing backlog of certificates and mobilize students for their National Youth Service, adding that he has signed and issued over 30,000 certificates to both National Diploma and Higher National Diploma graduates from January till date.
On the institution’s academic performance, Okoro disclosed that 17 new programmes introduced by the institution including AI programme, have been accredited.
Okoro said the Polytechnic remains the only institution in the country presently offering AI as a course.
He thanked the federal government for the various interventions in the polytechnic, especially in infrastructure and disclosed that lectures would commence at the institution’s permanent campus at Osisioma on January 6, 2026.
He equally thanked Governor Alex Otti for what his administration has been doing for the poly, including the construction of a 10,000 student capacity hostels (5,000 each) for both male and female students, adding that the governor of the state has approved the asphalting of the permanent site internal roads, in addition to the asphalting of the internal roads of the Umungasi campus.
The Rector used the occasion to redeem the N1m pledge made to each of the best graduands during last year’s convocation by Governor Otti.
