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By Gabriel Dike
Four days after the Federal Government asked universities to close for the forthcoming 2023 general elections, the directive has been extended to the polytechnics to shut down for the same reason.
The Minister of Education last week through the National Universities Commission (NUC) directed vice-chancellors of the nation’s universities to close from Wednesday, February 22nd to Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 to enable students vote.
The Ministry of Education, Abuja, in a circular to the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) asked him to communicate the directive to rectors and provosts of polytechnics.
The circular, which was signed by I.O. Folorunsho, reminded the NBTE boss of the forthcoming presidential and national assembly election on February 25th and gubernatorial and state assembly on March 11th, 2023.
Meanwhile, the NBTE in another circular to rectors and provosts, dated February 10th, 2023, directed them to shut down their institutions from February 22nd to March 14th for the polls.
The NBTE circular, which was signed by the Director, Human Resources, Lawal Hafiz, urged the rectors and provosts to comply with the ministerial directive.
Daily Sun had in an exclusive story on January 24th, 2023, reported that 3.5 million students, who registered for the general elections but whose polling units are located outside their campuses may be unable to vote.
The students would be tired down to academic works during the polls and would miss the opportunity to vote for the presidential and national assembly as well as the governorship and state assembly.
