PTDF Hands The Federal Polytechnic Of Oil & Gas, Ekowe To Federal ministry Of Education
PDTF hands the Federal Polytechnic of Oil And Gas,Ekowe to Federal Ministry of Education. The Petroleum Development Technology Fund after nine years of being in charge of the polytechnic deemed it fit to give power to the Federal minsitry of Education to continue from where they did stop.
PTDF Formally Hands Over The Federal Polytechnic Of Oil And Gas,Ekowe Bayelsa State To Federal Ministry Of Education
The 6th of June, 2016 is a remarkable day in the history of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund’s Institutional Capacity Development Initiative as the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Ekowe in Bayelsa State developed by PTDF is officially handed over to the beneficiary of the project – The Federal Ministry of Education. The event was held at the conference room of the Hon. Minister of State, Petroleum Resources.
Construction of the polytechnic started in 2007 in phases and could not be completed as scheduled due to the challenges of the terrain and insecurity.
In his remark, the Acting Executive Secretary of PTDF, Mr Ahmed Galadima Aminu gave a background to the transformation of what used to be a marshy wasteland, part of which housed the Government Science and Technical College, Ekowe, to a massive modern day Polytechnic of Oil and Gas “the idea of establishing the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas Ekowe, Bayelsa State was conceptualized during the Niger Delta Stakeholders meeting in 2006. PTDF was mandated to intervene in the establishment of educational institutions at Bonny Rivers State, Ekowe in Bayelsa State, Okerenkoko and Oporoza in Delta State”.
Dr. Ibe Kachikwu promised to make a case for the development of access roads to the institution by the federal government in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government to ease transportation to the Polytechnic. Currently access to the Polytechnic is only by air or through the waterway. He further commended the effort and commitment of past administrations towards the establishment of the institution. “Government is a continuum, so I appreciate the government that started the project and more especially the government that delivered this project”
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Mrs Folashade Esan, expressed the Ministry’s appreciation for the project that is being handed over to the Ministry “this is the first Polytechnic of Oil and Gas in Nigeria, we want to ensure that Nigerians take over the oil and gas industry”. She added that “access road is a major problem of the institution and we will work with the institution to ensure it has a proper road so it can attract the desired students”. She pledged that the issue of accreditation and security will also be addressed and assured that facilities put in place by PTDF will be judiciously utilized by the students and staff of the Institution.
