The House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnics and Other Higher Technical Education uncovered startling details about the Federal Polytechnic in Ugep, Cross River State.
Established in 2021, this institution has only managed to enroll 142 students while employing 154 staff members. Despite receiving a substantial N2 billion take-off grant, intended for renovating a temporary campus and developing a permanent site, the polytechnic has struggled to attract more students and staff.
The committee expressed significant concerns over the financial management of the institution.
It was revealed that approximately N600 million has been spent on personnel and overhead costs, with an additional N38 million allocated for local travels.
These expenditures have raised questions about the efficient use of funds, especially given the polytechnic's current operational scale.
A member of the committee criticized the spending as "a waste and unsustainable," comparing the student population to that of an elementary school. "If you have 142 students, that’s like an Elementary school.
In my village, we have a primary school. The students there are more than 500," he remarked, highlighting the disproportionate nature of the expenses.
The Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Edward N. Okey, explained that part of the N2 billion grant was used to renovate the abandoned Ugep Community Secondary School to serve as a temporary campus.
He acknowledged the challenges faced in attracting students, partly due to the town's negative reputation. "Even my Council members, the first set, refused to come to Ugep to hold meetings because they are scared of Ugep because Ugep used to have a tradition of eating people. But, that was hundreds of years ago," he stated, emphasizing efforts to overcome this stigma.
Despite these efforts, the polytechnic's enrollment numbers remain low, with only a slight increase of 63 students this year. The committee has called for a review of the institution's budget and spending practices, questioning the justification for such high expenses given the limited number of students.
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