Rep Laguda to ensure accountability in Polytechnics amidst budget oversight

By Christiana Ekpa

The Chairman, House Committee on Polytechnics and other Higher Technical Education, Rep Fuad Kayode Laguda has expressed commitment to ensuring accountability in the running of the institutions under the purview of the Committee.
This, he said, is because, the polytechnics and other higher institutions that offer technical learning are crucial to the development of the country.
The lawmaker said it was for this reason, the Committee takes the budget performance of the institutions very seriously.
He stated this while addressing journalists after an oversight function meeting with five Polytechnics from the South East in Abuja
The schools had failed to appear before the Committee earlier last week.
They are; the Federal Polytechnic,Akanu Ibiam; Federal Polytechnic Nekede; Federal Polytechnic Ohodo; Federal Polytechnic Isuochi and Federal Polytechnic Oko.
“Well, I think in recent times I’ve come to terms that a closer look needs to be given to the budget performance of these polytechnic and higher institutions,” he said.
He informed that, despite the fact that, the Committee held some of the oversight at the National Assembly, they will still pay physical visits to the institutions due to some of the budget lines they presented especially expenditures.
He said there was need to verify the things the schools said they had done as some provided picture evidence while others did not
Rep. Laguda added, “The ones we were not too convinced about, we’ve already noted them that we’ll be paying physical visits to them to see things ourselves to what is going on there. Of course, we know some of these areas due to the security situation.