By Uredo Omale.
- Rolls out Gains Recorded so far in the Polytechnic under his Watch
- Promises Consistent Moral and Financial Support for the Forum.
The Acting Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Dr. Salisu Ogbo Usman has relinquished his position as Chairman of the Kogi East Emerging Leaders’ Forum (KEELF), a socio – political organisation he convened for the purpose of promoting good governance and development in the Eastern Senatorial District.
The Acting Rector announced the decision when the leaders and members of the Forum drawn from all nine Local Government Areas of the Eastern Senatorial District of the State paid him a courtesy visit on Thursday, May 28.
He said the decision was in view of the enormous responsibilities of his current assignment which he stressed would make it difficult for him to lead the Forum with the same vigour, focus, tenacity and decisiveness it has been known for.
He, however, promised to continue to provide both moral and financial support for the Forum with the view to making it stronger, more focused and more successful than when he was in charge.
As part of his commitment to the progress of the Forum, he promised a monthly donation of fifty thousand naira (N50, 000. 00) from his salary, and with additional promise to do much more as the situation improves.
He urged members to decide on the appointment of a new Chairman and charged the Forum to be mindful of its Motto which is Good Governance and Development in all decisions they take.
The Acting Rector, who is also the Convener of the Forum, thanked the leadership and members of the Forum for the visit and expressed his gratitude to them for the support and cooperation he received as Chairman which he said was responsible for the huge success recorded.
He urged them to continue in that spirit and draw new members who they believe share the same values with them so as to move the Forum forward.
He also thanked the Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Edward David Onoja for the invaluable support given to the Forum which he said has brought it to the current level.
He told members of the Forum that he was always mindful of his humble background and the generosity he enjoyed from people with whom he shared no blood affinity, and stressed that he would use the lesson to lift others the same way.
He assured members of the Forum that he would continue to support them as group and individuals using every means within his power, stressing that he would never let them down.
He stressed that his appointment and few other members of the Forum are an indication that leaders have truly started emerging from the group, and assured that he would do his best to ensure that more benefits come the ways of more members.
He informed members that good governance and development which is the motto of the forum has been his guiding principle since assumption of office and seized the opportunity to enumerate steps taken so far in that regard.
He said that part of the steps were the courtesy visits he paid the Ohimegye-Igu of Koton-Karfe, the Maigari of Lokoja, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, the Obaro of Kabba, the Onu Ankpa and the Atta Igala to seek their fatherly blessings, guidance and support.
He added that as he was settling down for his assignment, part of his first discovery was that some people had been feeding fat at the expense of the institution, a situation he stressed, had left the 28 year old Polytechnic in an unenviable position.
He therefore made it clear that he would resist and block leakages at all cost and manage the little resources available to ensure sustainable growth of the institution.
Among his achievements so far which he enumerated include the setting up of not less than 25 Committees on important issues in the polytechnic, the establishment of Legal Unit, the setting up of the Information Technology Resources Centre and the Sports Unit into a full directorate amongst others.
He also added that he has been able to review the ICT charges of two thousand five hundred naira (N2,500.00) per student down to one thousand five hundred naira (N1,500.00), and with the contracting ICT firm providing same quality of service to the institution.
Part of his cardinal goal, he added, is the transformation of the governance from paper to paperless administration.
He expressed his determination to ensure the erection and completion of security office at the entrance of the Polytechnic by making use of the expertise of some academic departments in the institution in addition to donations from well meaning individuals and corporate bodies within his first hundred days in office.
He also intend to complete the student hostels through Private Public Partnership and upgrade the Polytechnic Clinic from a 3-bed health facility to a 30-bed one within the same hundred days.
Earlier, the Treasurer of the Forum, Dr Aurelius Omali, said they were in the Polytechnic to congratulate the Acting Rector on his appointment, which he said was well-deserved in view of his impressive records as an academic and administrator.
He also thanked God for the opportunity granted the leaders of the Forum to be elevated to the current position, and His Excellency the Executive Governor of the State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, for being the willing instrument used by God to appoint Dr. S.O Usman as the Acting Rector of the Polytechnic.
He also thanked the Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Chief Edward David Onoja, for the consistent support and encouragement he has given to the Forum.
He explained that the Emerging Leaders Forum is a socio – political organization which has the central aim of fostering unity and progress among the various interests in the Eastern part of the State.
Dr Omali stressed that the Forum has recorded tremendous successes since inception, part of which was the interaction encouraged at various local governments which have brought the plights of the people to the doorstep of the government for positive actions.
In his remarks, a member of the Central Executive of the Forum, Dr Mohammed Kabir Ibrahim, said that apart from the immediate family of the Acting Rector, no group could lay claim to the Acting Rector more than the Emerging Leaders Forum.
He therefore stressed that the group had come as friends, brothers and partners to felicitate with Dr. S. O. Usman and expressed confidence in his ability to deliver.
He added that the Acting Rector combines wealth of experience in academic and non-academic sojourns, and stressed that he has more than it takes to deliver on the mandate given to him by His Excellency.
He pledged that the Forum would give the resources, time and expertise required to support the Acting Rector to make him succeed.
Goodwill messages were delivered on behalf of the coordinators of the nine Local Governments by the coordinator of Dekina Local Government, Dr. Arome Tokula and that of Olamaboro Local Government, Ms. Oguche Unekwu Grace, who wished Dr Usman Ogbo huge success on his current assignment.
The Forum later presented a gift of Hand Drawn Portrait to the Acting Rector as a mark of love and oneness with their Convener and founding Chairman.
