The National President of Association of Private Polytechnic Founders and Rectors in Nigeria, Mr Bassey James has said that the association would soon begin a nationwide clampdown on illegal Polytechnics.
James made this known on Tuesday in Uyo during a media briefing to mark the maiden matriculation of his polytechnic, Southern Atlantic Polytechnic holding next Saturday in Uyo.
The president who decried the proliferation of private Polytechnics nationwide said the association has already written to both the National and State Assemblies on the matter and given the perpetrators a timeline to legalize their schools
James who promised to eradicate illegal polytechnics in the state in the next one year, regretted that such illegal institutions have nothing to offer to the society describing ot as crime against humanity.
He however called on the Federal Ministry of Education to lend it’s voice on the campaign against the menace.
“have written to the Federal Government, the National and State Assemblies about the the dangers of these illegal Polytechnics and the need to clampdown on them.
“I have even raised the issue to the National Board for Technical Education and they promised to do something. I know some of the people who are doing this illegal business and I have given them a timeline.
“This, must disappear because it waters down the quality of education and everything about our people. It is very annoying that you spend upto One Billion Naira to build an institution and you see someone that will stay in his bedroom to say he is running a polytechnic too.
“Some even run theirs under the tree and you see people attend those schools. Some people are studying computer science without seeing a computer set in the school, and other courses such as Engineering without any facility.
“At the end of the year they will be issued a certificate. This is a crime against humanity, against quality education and something has to be done.” He explained.
He said that 300 students would matriculate in the forth coming Matriculation of his institution which would also witness the official launching of the institution’s entrepreneurial initiatives in Garri processing and shoe making.
On the harmonisation of the HND/BSC Dichotomy by President Muhammadu Buhari ,James said such lacuna and disparity was disheartening considering the experience of a HND graduate after the mandatory one year internship.
He however commended Buhari for removing the dichotomy saying that graduates of polytechnics now have a brighter future
