The newly established Polytechnic of Oil and Gas in Bonny, Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, has been given N1 billion by president Goodluck Jonathan billion as take-off grant.
The Rector of the polytechnic, Professor Elijah Iyagba disclosed this when he led other principal officers of the institution on a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday.
According to a statement issued from the Rivers State Government on Tuesday, Iyagba assured Amaechi of the commitment of principal officers of the institution to achieve the aims for which the school was established.
He also recalled that the idea of the Bonny Polytechnic was first mooted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and recently approved by President Jonathan, with a take-off grant of about N1 billion.
“Your Excellency as you may be aware, it’s been a long road. This started 14 years ago. It was to be a National Technical Institute by the Rivers State Government and six years later, the Federal Government under President Obasanjo asked the Petroleum Training Development Fund (PTDF) to take over the construction of the institution at the time as a way of providing opportunities for Niger Delta youths.
“Later on, the present Federal Government upgraded the status to a polytechnic and finally just a few months ago, we were appointed as the pioneer principal officers to kick-start the institution,” he said.
The polytechnic administrator said the siting of the polytechnic in the oil-rich Bonny Island would afford Niger Deltans more opportunities of gathering maximum knowledge in oil and gas activities.
Iyagba said although the Bonny Polytechnic was a federal institution, it was expedient for him and the other principal officers to familiarise themselves with Amaechi as the governor of Rivers State.
Responding, Governor Amaechi thanked them for the visit and expressed the hope that the objective behind the establishment of the polytechnic would be realised.
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