Outrage As Polytechnic With 142 Students Spends Over N600M – Reps Panel

The House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnics and Other Higher Technical Education has raised serious concerns over the financial management of the Federal Polytechnic Ugep in Cross River State, after revelations of disproportionate expenditures compared to the institution’s student population and staff strength.

During a budget performance review on Monday, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Edward N. Okey, disclosed that the institution spends over N600 million annually on personnel and overhead costs, despite having just 142 students and 154 staff members (academic and non-academic combined).

The Committee, chaired by Fouad Kayode Laguda, invited federal polytechnics and other technical institutions from the South-South region, including Federal Polytechnic Orogun, Federal Polytechnic Oil and Gas Bonny, Federal Polytechnic Auchi, and others, as part of its ongoing oversight functions. However, the revelations from Ugep drew sharp criticism from lawmakers.

Among the expenditures flagged was N38 million spent on local travel. The rector also claimed that a N20 billion take-off grant was used to renovate an abandoned secondary school to serve as a temporary campus and to develop structures at the Institute of Technology Management (ITM), which has since become the Polytechnic’s permanent site.

Explaining the institution’s challenges, Prof. Okey recounted difficulties in securing a starting location in Ugep. He noted that the Polytechnic began operations in 2021 with just 16 students. Enrollment has since increased to 142 after absorbing students and staff from ITM. However, a member of the Committee questioned the management’s financial priorities, labeling the expenditures as “wasteful and unsustainable.”

“It is high time we tell ourselves the truth,” one lawmaker stated. “A federal polytechnic with 142 students is like an elementary school. Yet, your personnel cost is almost N500 million, overhead is N159 million, and capital is N25 million. What is the justification for all this spending?”

Chairman Laguda also expressed disappointment at the poor preparation and presentations by all seven institutions invited. He criticized their inability to meet basic reporting requirements despite being given sufficient notice.

“We called schools from the South-South for oversight, and not one of the schools met the required standards or did what was expected,” Laguda said. “Considering you had over a week’s notification—and over two months to prepare—you still failed to deliver.”

The Committee vowed to address the issue of financial accountability within the nation’s technical education sector.