- Institution’s FM Radio Station hits airwaves soon
Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, RUGIPO, will start running degree programmes in at least 16 courses from next academic session.
This plan is unfolding just as arrangements are being concretised for the institution’s radio station, RUGIPO FM, to hit the airwaves soon.
The institution, according to its Acting Rector, Mr Gani Ogundahunsi, is partnering Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife in the award of the degrees.
Already, he has met with the OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, Executive Secretary of National University Commission, NUC, National Board of Technical Education, NBTE, and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, on the plan.
He disclosed these in an exclusive interview.
Besides, Ogundahunsi said that RUGIPO would introduce additional 29 ND and HND new courses if approved by the NBTE.
He said: “Let me tell you one programme that people will be very happy about, that is, about the HND and BSC linkage. I am having a partnership with Obafemi Awolowo, University, Ile- Ife, and the partnership is going to be like that of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
“This one has gotten to a very advanced stage. The Vice Chancellor and I have met with the National Universities Commission, as well as the National Board for Technical Education and JAMB. We have discussed with the Executive Councils of these bodies.”
He said the school authority has sent recommendations to the NBTE in Abuja and expressed optimism that the board would give approval before the next academic session.
He said the certificates to be awarded would bear Obafemi Awolowo University, but that the students would be receiving their lectures at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
Ogundahunsi said the degree courses would be in areas of RUGIPO’s strength such as Agriculture, Engineering and Environmental Sciences.
He said the new courses to be introduced for ND and HND are included.
He assured that the institution would not stop its ND and HND programmes, adding: “Courses like Insurance, Cooperative Studies, Tourism among others will be introduced.
“We want to expand our school; we have brought to fore about 29 new programmes; we have tried to redeem, to re-tool and re-engineer the place.
“The mandate is for us to make our programmes relevant to our immediate society.”
He said RUGIPO FM Radio Station would come on air very soon, saying the institution has got a licence and all facilities are fully ready for the smooth take off of the radio station.
The Acting Rector said the 37 programmes being run by the institution were recently presented for accreditation and re-accreditation, adding that all the courses were accredited.
Ogundahunsi commended the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, for reducing the nine months salaries arrears of workers in the institution to five months apart from not owing salary. He said the capital vote given to the school had been judiciously used; adding that many abandoned projects have been completed.
His words: “I appreciate the present government, led by Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu. As at the time this government got into the saddle, we had nine months salary arrears but now these have been reduced to five months. It shows that the man has been working.
The school cannot generate a month salary, it is the same government that will have to bail us out and let’s say this government has given us three critical bailouts.
“When I say we did this and that, it was simply because the money was available. He gave us capital grant and we have judiciously appropriated this money. When I was talking about accreditation, the government gave us the money.”
On the reduced tuition fees for students, Ogundahunsi said the council took the decision to encourage more enrolment as he blamed the low enrolment of students into the institution majorly on disruption of academic calendar, caused by last year students crisis that led to the closure of the school for months.
The Hope
