It is with great delight that I welcome you all to the second matriculation ceremony of Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan-Ekiti. I wish to specially congratulate His Excellency, the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi for the victoryof the people’s candidate, Mr.Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji at just concluded Governorship election. The victory shows how committed and sincere you are to the mandate entrusted to you by the good people of Ekiti. We pray that the good Lord will give him wisdom, sound health, guidance and protection to take Ekiti State to a higher level of development and continue the good work of his predecessor.
Many deserving candidates who applied for admission into this institution were not as fortunate as you. You are lucky to be offered admission amidst many applicants. I wish to congratulate you, your parents, guardians, well-wishers and friends for the realization of your dream of gaining accesses to this prestigious Polytechnic as one of the lucky students.
At this matriculating ceremony, the Polytechnic will formally admit 57students into various courses in Accountancy, Computer Science, Elect/Elect Engineering Technology and Agricultural Technology. Today’s event is therefore significant and historic being that it makes the formal enrolment of the matriculation students into the Polytechnic academic programmes in line with the recommendations of the NBTE.
It is therefore with great pleasure and joy that I welcome all the students into the Polytechnic and pray that the good Lord use your presence in this Polytechnic to foster its growth and development in the overall interest of our dear country.
I also wish to use this opportunity to congratulate your parents for the pivotal roles they have played in your lives and I pray that the investment they are making in you will not be in vain.
Permit me to at this point offer a word or two of advice to the students. The Polytechnic is a place where you enjoy a lot of freedoms but freedom often comes with some corresponding obligations. Here, your freedom ends where another person’s freedom begins. So, not only must you protect your rights, privileges and freedoms, you must also ensure that you do not trample on the rights, privileges and freedoms of others, irrespective how pressured the situation may be.
In this Polytechnic, we pride ourselves in not only training students in academic work but also in character so that upon graduation the student is fully ready to be a responsible citizen who will contribute to national development. So, we advise that you emulate the example of your mentors and teachers in self-discipline, self-care, good mode of dressing, fidelity to your studies and work. I wish you every luck as you take this noble path to high level achievements.
The Management has made provisions for a conductive, friendly teaching and learning environment, and we shall continue to improve in these. You are expected to take advantage of these provisions to enhance your learning in this institution. However, be aware that there are limitations in physical and infrastructural facilities currently; and where these limitations result in pressures, we seek your understanding as we continue to improve the infrastructures.
Although, we are only two years old, our Students population has grown considerably with approvals given by the NBTE for the establishment of key courses in the institution. Our pioneer students are currently in ND2; and by the grace of God, we will be graduation our first set of students very shortly. This will be a very significant achievement for a State which only two years ago was the only State in Southwest of Nigeria without a State Polytechnic.
I wish to caution you that you will be held accountable for self behaviour and actions. The best way to develop positive identity and social sense is to embrace Africans culture, values, customs, traditions and norms. That is, learn how to study, eat, drink, walk, dress, think, talk, communicate and do right. These variables amount to intelligence and character. Your background does not matter; neither does your economic status. EKSPOLY is offering you a chance to become somebody.
Be careful and don’t be at the mercy of peer pressure. You came here as an individual. Much as you may find friends useful, you need at times to be alone to turn your mind inward to know who you are. Some steps need to be taken alone.
The Polytechnic strategic vision is to produce job creators and not job seekers and to be able to solve and provide solutions to societal problems not only in Ekiti State but in Nigeria in general. The Polytechnic has very tall mission and vision statements. However, our resources are very limited. Nevertheless, we will continue to appeal to all men and women of goodwill to support the Polytechnic to attain its noble dreams and aspirations.
Let me at this point use this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of State Government under the leadership of the Executive Governor, Dr. Johnson Kayode Fayemi, for the support to this institution despite the dwindling economy of the Country and the State. We will be grateful if Mr. Governor can provide more vehicles for Principal Officers, Staff and Students and to provide funds to enable the Polytechnic meet the requirements for full accreditation of all its courses and increases its programmes.
Also, we would require an increase in our monthly subvention from the State Government to enable us recruit more academic and non-academic staff to meet the accreditation requirements of the NBTE. We appeal to the Mr. Governor and the incoming Governor to help us achieve this goal. As a baby institution, we deserve special care and preferential treatment to enable the institution growth and meet up with the mission and vision of the founding fathers and therefore distinct the institution from its counterparts.
Our mode of operation is based on transparency, effectiveness, accountability, innovation and decency. I wish to assure all present today that we will never compromise these principles regardless of the circumstances.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge the huge support to EKSPOLY from our host community since the establishment of this institution. Therefore, I wish to assure all present here today that the Polytechnic will continue to be administered with high level of integrity and regard for the passion that the Ekiti State people have for education.
May God Almighty prosper you and guide you to a successful completion of your programme, Amen. Congratulations to you all
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