In line with realigning education with market demand thus putting the sector in good financial stead, the management of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, in Ebonyi State has concluded arrangement to supply over 5000 pieces of motorcycle foot-rests to Poly-Hanns Nig. Ltd, Nnewi, Anambra State.
The Rector of the polytechnic, Venerable Ogbonnia Ibe-Enwo, revealed this over the weekend in an interactive session with select journalists in his office at the polytechnic, Unwana-Afikpo during a quasi-appraisal of achievement in office.
Ibe-Enwo said that the foot-rests were one of the products produced by the institution’s plastic factory, which was constructed from a refurbished and rehabilitated plastic-injection moulding machine by the department of Mechanical Engineering in conjunction with Poly-Hanns Nig. Ltd, a firm, with specialty in recycling plastic products.
According to Ibe-Enwo, this machine, with the appropriate components, had enabled the institution to recycle plastics and produce plastic-based products such as hanger, plastic bucket, foot-rests for motorcycles, adding that aside from the 5000 pieces of foot-rests it had been contracted to supply to the company, the same plastic recycling firm had equally asked the school to supply 3000 dozens of hangers.
He said all these innovative steps had been taken in order to shore-up the internally generated revenue (IGR) base of the institution, pointing out that at time when funding of education by federal government was no longer 100 per cent owing to dwindling oil revenue and other challenges facing the country, it was expedient for chief executives of government’s own institutions of learning to go the extra-mile to keep them at pal with others in other parts of the world.
According to him, another feat that the institution had achieved, was the establishment of the Poly Unwana Table Water Factory, which he noted had gotten operational registration number from the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
He said apart from serving the polytechnic community, the factory would also serve as wet laboratory for the Food Technology Department, and “we hope to start producing table water as soon as possible to serve our stakeholders”.
“Under my watch as Rector, we now have a plastic factory which was constructed from a refurbished and rehabilitated plastic-injection molding machine by the department of Mechanical Engineering in conjunction with Poly-Hanns Nig. Ltd.
“This machine has enabled the institution to recycle plastics and produce plastic-based products such as hanger, plastic bucket, foot-rests for motorcycles, and we have an order to supply 5000 pieces of that product to Poly-Hanns Nig. Ltd, in Nnewi.
“And this factory also serves as a practical skill acquisition centre for the Mechanical and Electrical Electronic Engineering departments of the school. This machine can also produce plastic components of vehicles and motorcycles, such the brake lights among others. And like I said, it’s something that we are sure that could help shore up our IGR base” he said.
Ibe-Enwo, who became the 5th substantive Rector of the polytechnic in August 2014, said the management of the institution under his leadership had completed a 1500-capacity new lecture theater; an alumni building of two large classrooms; a micro finance bank building; and two blocks of poultry farms, which according to him would serve the department of Agricultural Technology for its practical work and also boost the institution’s revenue.
Other achievements of the institution’s management included construction of over 1000 classroom -desks for students’ use; purchase of new staff bus; purchase of a new KIA CERATO for the Director of Medical Services and a new Nissan Pathfinder SUV car for official use; installation of solar power generating system for the old administrative block.
Others included the installation of over 25 solar street lights; and payment of over N367 million for 18-month salary arrears for 11 recalled, 11-month salary arrears for staff, 55-month contentious salary arrears for staff, and pensioners between December 2014 and December 2017, among others.
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