…..6,060 students matriculated.
The Rector of Ondo State-owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic (RUGIPO), Owo, Mr Gani Ogundahunsi, on thursday declared that the school tuition had been cut down three times since he took over as the head of the institution.
This is just as the Rector cautioned fresh students at the polytechnic to shun cultism and other criminal acts to enable them realise their academic objectives.
Ogundahunsi gave the warning on Thursday during the 28th matriculation ceremony of the institution in Owo.
No fewer than 6,060 students matriculated in the 2020/2021 academic session into the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes.
The Rector urged the new students not to allow their parents’ hope in them to be dashed.
According to him, the primary aim of the students in the school is to get sound education and acquire skills.
The rector enjoined the students not to indulge in physical confrontation with anybody, saying that there were civilised means of addressing grievances.
“Take advantage of official grievance procedure as stated in the Student Information Handbook to lodge complaints instead of taking laws into your hands.
“Imbibe the habit of using social dialogue to address grievance instead of confronting.
“Being a student does not give you a blank cheque to indulge in unlwaful acts,” he stated.
According to the rector, human societies have moved away from the culture of wanton destruction of government and private property.
“Even in the face of greatest provocation or protest, don’t destroy school’s property.
“The high-level of discipline is the only approach that can guarantee sustenance of our stable academic calendar and ultimately reposition the polytechnic,” he said.
Ogundahunsi implored those that had yet to pay their school fees to do so, adding that no defaulter would be allowed to write the forthcoming first semester examination.
“Many of the students have not paid their school fees despite the fact that the fees had been reviewed downwards three times since I assumed office as rector.
“RUGIPO is one of the state-owned institutions where we have the least school fees in the country.
“Defaulters will be disallowed from participating in the first semester examination that will kick off on Aug. 9.”
The rector asked the students to celebrate the moment with caution and modesty, saying it is the living that could celebrate.
Ogundahunsi commended Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for consistently funding the polytechnic.
