It was Thursday, the air abuzz with excitement as Kwara State Polytechnic in Ilorin geared up for its convocation. The school auditorium brimmed with anticipation, hosting not only the Chief of Staff to the Governor, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, and the institution’s top management but also a myriad of invited dignitaries, proud graduands, parents, and student representatives.
The convocation procession started gracefully, marking the commencement of a day that held different meanings for various attendees.
While the graduands reveled in the achievement of their academic milestones, the higher echelons of the institution and government representatives had other assignments. They were slated to commission new projects undertaken by the institution.
When the Rector, Engr. Abdul Jimoh Muhammed, proudly declared that the school would be commissioning projects funded by internally generated revenue (IGR), applause and cheers filled the air.
However, an on-the-spot assessment of the project by The Informant247 on the commissioning day has revealed a contrasting reality – one that casts doubt on the transparency and integrity of both the state government that commissioned the project and the school management that executed it.
We built a modern facility department: Rector
Reeling out his achievements, the Rector mentioned the Zango power project, drainage works, the renovation of the old library, and the construction of the walkway inside the campus, among others.
For the remodeling of the old library to the new Department of Library and Information Science, the Rector said, “You will all recall that in my convocation speech last year, I mentioned that the management introduced some new courses aimed at maintaining a Science/Art ratio of 70:30 in favor of science courses as approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
“Therefore, to ensure the effective take-off of the new course, structures and necessary facilities must be adequately put in place. This led to the remodeling and renovation of an abandoned old library. Modern facilities were also put in place to give room for conducive teaching and learning.”
He added, “With the complete renovation of the structure, the department now has 10 offices, a 150-capacity lecture room, a departmental training library for practicals, a computer resource room for students, a 5KV inverter, office furniture, a generating set, toilets facilities, and space for a 250-capacity CBT Centre to be furnished to JAMB standard.”
Only Painting Job Was Done
Despite the elaborate descriptions provided in the press briefing, the “remodeled” building appears to be nothing more than a superficial facelift hastily covered in a fresh coat of paint.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that the building lacks the comprehensive facilities mentioned in the official statement.
When approached by The Informant247, a student who preferred not to be named said, “We were all looking forward to something better, you know. I am a student of Marketing Department. We are just at the back of the remodeled building as you can see. We used to have the old library there, but they said it will be renovated and remodeled with state-of-the-art modern equipment so that it can accommodate a new department, but the reality here that I am seeing with my own eyes is just a paint job. You don’t need to be an engineer to know that because it is glaring. We expected more.” He remarked, disappointment evident in his voice.
The old broken windows and neglected surroundings, littered with bushes and human waste, further added to the disillusionment felt by the students.
A staff member, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “The reality doesn’t match what was announced. I’m not sure where the funds went, but it certainly didn’t go into the comprehensive renovation they claimed.”
The feeling is the same among those within the institution, The Informant247 learnt.
Tetfund Chairs in Classroom
The official description of the project included 10 offices, a 150-capacity lecture room, a departmental training library, a computer resource room, a 5KV inverter, office furniture, a generator set, and toilets.
The Informant247, however, observed that the building lacks the modern facilities mentioned in the Rector’s statement.
The 150-capacity lecture room is filled with furniture with Tetfund inscriptions on them.
“If this project was funded with IGR, why are there chairs labeled Tetfund? They must have removed these chairs from other classrooms built by TetFund and bring them here for the commissioning,” a lecturer who also pleaded not to be named questioned.
Despite taking a tour inside the building, we could not find any training library or computer resource room.
State of Toilets
“You can go and check it yourself,” this was the response from a student when asked about the state of the toilets.
The Informant247 observed that the state of the toilet facilities within the remodeled structure was far from satisfactory. The toilets, touted as part of the modernized renovation, were clearly untouched.
“You can see that there is no water supply to the toilet facilities. This not only questions the basic hygiene standards but also raises concerns about the commitment to ensuring the well-being of students and staff,” said a lecturer in the Department of Library and Information Science.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Institution, Halimat Garba said, “I don’t know the parameters that you used to measure the quality of job done. But for the equipment, it is ready and kept inside a store for now, they should be moved inside by next week.”
Note: This is the first of a three-part series report focusing on the commissioning of shoddy projects and corruption inside the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.
