Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State

The Plateau State Government says it has approved the release of N200 million for the accreditation of courses in its Polytechnic.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Gov. Simon Lalong said this on Wednesday, while declaring open, the 87th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), in Jos.

Lalong, who was represented by Prof. John Wade, Director of Research and Documentation, Government House, noted that most of the courses offered by the institution were not accredited.

“The non-accreditation of the courses poses a set-back for both the institution and its graduates.

“We have approved the release of N200 million to the Polytechnic for the accreditation and re-accreditation of courses at the National and Higher National Diploma levels.

“We will ensure the release of the approved funds so that the accreditation exercise will be completed within the second quarter of 2017,” he assured.

Lalong said that government had also approved the 65-years retirement age for academic staff of all tertiary institutions, adding that salary structures of the institutions were being reviewed and would be harmonised.

Earlier, ASUP National President, Mr Umar Dutse, had commended the Plateau Government for the peace so far achieved in the state.

“We are happy that peace has returned to the state. If it were in the past few years we, wouldn’t have held this meeting here,’’ he said.

The National President also thanked the government for clearing the backlog of salaries owed its members, and urged government to expedite action on the accreditation of courses in the institution to avoid being de-listed from the body of Polytechnics in the country.

He called on the government to lift the ban on employment so as to address the manpower deficit being experienced in the Polytechnic.

“Information available to us shows that since 2006, no single academic staff was employed in this Polytechnic. This is not healthy for an institution of this magnitude,’’ he said.

(NAN)