The Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Dr. Taiwo Akande, has lamented that the protracted strike embarked upon by staff unions in polytechnics and colleges of education across the country has caused incalculable damage.
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Akande said the industrial action had put most of the institution on the brink of losing a whole academic session which, she observed, was very tragic.
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The rector told journalists in Ado-Ekiti that it was important for polytechnics to be accorded their rightful place in the education sector as done in United Kingdom and other countries of the world.
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According to her, this is because polytechnic graduates, apart from being trained to have theoretical knowledge, are also groomed to have hands-on-skill and technical knowledge in their chosen disciplines.
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Akande appealed to the staff unions in the polytechnics and colleges of education sector presently at loggerheads with the government to sheath their sword and come to a roundtable discussion.
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This, she said, was to ensure resolution of the crisis that has led to the over one year strike in the nation's polytechnic system.
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She was, however, optimistic that in the next five years, the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti would have become a major player in the nation's education sector.
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The rector expressed assurance that the institution would by then be collaborating for outstanding research with some universities, not only in Nigeria, but also across the globe.