Dr Salisu Umar, the Rector of Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo on Wednesday said the institution was indebted to the tune of over N1.3 billion when he took over.

Umar disclosed this while addressing newsmen during his one-year stewardship as the rector of the polytechnic.

He said N24 million was paid monthly to part-time lecturers and casual workers in the institution.

“Our Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) over one year have really suffered a great blow because of the debt I met on the ground.

“When I came on board I met over N1.3 billion debt which I can authoritatively tell you we have settled over 90 per cent of it and that does not stop us from doing little things.

“If I look at the money we spent on paying part-time lecturers, I have over 700 casual workers in this school and we pay them over N24 million monthly and that did not include the electricity which we also pay from our IGR.

“This does not include diesel which we also pay from IGR, but in all this, I will not want to use them as an excuse for me not to develop the school.

“I have already pushed myself and the institution to a point of no return that whether I like it or not I must put infrastructure on the ground.

“So money is a problem, but by God’s grace, we will try to manage the little resources we have without waste, to make sure that we achieve what we intend to achieve within the stipulated time,” Umar said.

Umar said he had carried out numerous projects in the last year with some completed and others at 80 per cent level.

He highlighted some of the projects including the construction of two lecture hall theatres, 40 staff offices in the School of Agricultural Science, 48 staff offices in Campus Two, the construction of boreholes and the Department of Architects.

Others are the installation of solar power, construction of a link road from Campus One and Campus Three; another link road from campus two and campus three and the provision of broadband Internet service around the campuses amongst others.

The rector added that 64 programmes had been accredited in the school with 17 new programmes introduced in the institution during his one year in office.

“Before I came I had my vision and mission and my vision is to make Auchi polytechnic a world-class institution which I have already started.

” I started it by giving Auchi Polytechnic the highest number of accredit any polytechnic in Nigeria has ever acquired.

” I was able to give Auchi polytechnic 64 programmes to add to their carrying capacities as well as the resource for the programmes that have lost accreditation.

“There are some of our programmes that have not been accredited for over three years; when I came I have been able to get accreditation for them.

“Our degree programmes were almost closing as I am talking to you today, I have gotten accreditation for all the degree programmes.

“Introducing 17 new departments to any institution, no matter the size of that institution is not a joke.

“These 17 new programmes are actually the programmes that will upgrade any institution.

“They are the newly introduced programmes in the world such as Welding and Fabrications, Mechatronics, Petroleum and Gas Processing, Computer Engineering, Website Design, Pharmaceutical Technology, Agric Crop Production, and so on and so forth.

“As I have said, I want to make Auchi Polytechnic a world-class institution within the next four years of my leaving here.”