By: Busy Brain
TRACKING____The Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State has been commended by Kwara State Government on No-To-Sex-For-Grade campaign staged at Nigeria Polytechnics Games’ opening ceremony held in Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.
The ceremony which was declared open by Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdurasaq Abdulraman represented by his deputy, Mr. Kayode Alabi. The Governor, in his address charged the athletes and officials participating in this year’s Nigeria Polytechnics Games (NIPOGA) to demonstrate high level of sportsmanship because NIPOGA has proved to be a unifying factors and a tool for fostering national integration among polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of technology throughout the federation.
Meanwhile, on the level of pervasive and intermittent cases of sexual harassments marauding tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the Kwara State commissioner for tertiary education, science and technology, Hajia Sadaatu Modibbo Kawu has commended the frantic efforts of the Federal Polytechnic Offa as the first institution to bring up such campaign to curtail the menace. While addressing the campaign team led by the Head of Mass Communication Department, Mr. Wole Alawode in her office on February 12th, 2020, the Honourable commissioner assures the team of State Government’s support to replicate ‘No-To-Sex-For Grade’ campaign in state owned institutions and at the same time, take it up to the national level with wider coverage. She said, ” I have been discussing with my team on what to do in our institutions and you have spoken my mind for coming with this new initiative. It gladdens my heart that this kind of campaign is coming from an institution and the Federal Polytechnic Offa is the first to stage such campaign against sex for grade in Nigeria. It shows we are leading by example. This campaign is something that we really need to replicate in our tertiary institutions. This is a very good initiative from the Federal Polytechnic Offa.”
While responding to Honourable Commissioner’s remarks, Mr. Alawode applauded the State Government for displaying good gesture and showing interest to support the campaign in order to fight social vices in tertiary institutions. He said, ” Mass Communication students of the Federal Polytechnic Offa started this campaign when we saw the rate at which our educational system is being compromised. Together with the school Management, we decided to address it because we cannot continue like that. As you have expressed your happiness towards our campaign programme, it gives a lot of impetus that this campaign is gaining recognition. We have about 97 students that participated in the campaign; we have come to pay our homage here formally and possibly explore other areas to see how we can partner with State Government to further this campaign. Thank God, we have a very progressive Governor, if Kwara State can expand it, it will help the future of Nigerian students across our tertiary institutions. The Management of the Federal Polytechnic Offa led by Dr. Lateef Olatunji is always ready to make positive collaborations with appropriate quarters in order to curtail social vices in Nigeria tertiary institutions.”
