No LASG Project In LASPOTECH

The Lagos State Government has been accused of not contributing to the development of one of its state-owned institutions, Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH, for over 16 years.

This accusation was made by a senior lecturer who was also a former principal officer of the institution in an exclusive interview with our P.M.NEWS CampusSquare.

The senior lecturer, who pleaded anonymity, stated that, these issues did not just start with this present administration. “For the eight years that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu spent as the state governor, nothing was released for any capital project. Only monies meant for accreditation exercises and salaries were released.

“All major projects in those years were done either through the Education Trust Fund, ETF or developmental fees and acceptance fees paid by the students of the institution. Tinubu never attended any of the convocation ceremonies conducted in the institution during his tenure,” he claimed.

The senior lecturer also claimed that Governor Babtunde Fashola is really no different. “Apart from the meagre funds released for accreditation exercise and salaries, he only approved the construction of the building for the institution’s School of Technology and the completion of its third gate road.

LASPOTECH relies on the Tertiary Education Fund, TETFUND, and students’ developmental fees for school projects. The sports complex has been abandoned for years. Governor Fashola only visited the school late last year to inspect the School of Technology building which is near completion.”

When asked if the school management ever approached the state government for funds for capital projects, he stated that: “In the days of Tinubu, when we were about to be booted out of the Ikosi Campus, we requested for money to move our furniture fittings and equipment to the Ikorodu campus. But instead of granting our request, we received lorries of mobile police men. You cannot query them,” he quizzed.

“The management makes requests, writes and follows up. For example, LASPOTECH cannot fix a date for convocation without consulting the governor’s protocol to confirm his availability, yet he has never turned up for the occasion. Any government that wants to advance its people technologically should start from human capacity development.”

Asked if the inadequate funding is responsible for the high school fees being paid by the Part-Time students of the school, the lecturer said that, “there is no way we can sustain the polytechnic without the part time programmes. As at today, they are the ones sustaining this school for all I care.”