By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has expressed displeasure at the Federal Polytechnic Ugep in Cross River State, for spending over N600 million annually on personnel and overhead costs despite having only 142 students in the institution.
This was revealed at a budget performance presentation by the Rector, Professor Edward Okey, organised by the House Committee on Polytechnics and Other Higher Technical Education.
The Committee, chaired by Hon. Fouad Kayode Laguda, was conducting oversight functions on federal polytechnics and technical institutions in the South-South region.
The Rector explained that the polytechnic, established in 2021, struggled to find a suitable temporary campus, which they eventually renovated abandoned structures of Ugep Community Secondary School with part of a N2 billion take-off grant.
According to him, some funds were also used for constructing the School of Engineering, a perimeter fence, a guest house, and purchasing a vehicle.
However, the Committee was disturbed by the expenditure pattern, noting the following:
N496 million spent on personnel annually.
N159 million spent on overhead.
N38 million allocated for local travel.
A committee member described the spending as unsustainable, comparing the polytechnic to a primary school in his village with over 500 students.
The Rector cited challenges in attracting students and staff due to negative perceptions about Ugep. He said:
“Even my council members initially refused to visit Ugep for meetings because of old stigmas about the community. However, we have worked hard to change this narrative. While we started with only 16 students, we now have 79 students this year, totaling 142 after taking over the Institute of Technology and Management (ITM).”
The Rector admitted the difficulties of operating in a rural area but emphasized that the polytechnic is vital for the community’s development.
The Committee criticized the institution and others invited for their poor presentations and lack of preparation. Rep. Fouad Laguda stated:
“Out of seven institutions, not one met our expectations. Only three submitted partial reports, while others were unprepared. We will require all of you to return with complete teams and proper documentation within a week.”
The Committee intends to review the budget utilization of these institutions thoroughly.