By Shedrack Frank and Nathan Nwakamma

The Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Bayelsa, says it produced 47 Higher National Diploma (HND) and 314 Ordinary National Diploma (OND) graduates in six academic sessions from 2014 to 2020.

The institution, located in the creeks of Nun River in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, said the graduands will feature at a virtual convocation ceremony on March 23.

The Rector of the institute, Dr Enetimi Seiyaboh, stated this on Monday during a press conference to mark the convocation ceremony of the institution.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that oil-and-gas-focused institution produced the graduates over a period of six academic sessions, from 2014 to 2020, in various fields of studies.

He described the convocation as a welcome climax: an open recognition, evidenced by the award of diplomas and certificates to the graduates.

“Hence, it is the celebration of bountiful harvest in the academic field of innovation, research and knowledge production, an event to hounour those who laboured hard in the classroom, libraries, laboratory and society to contribute to the life and goals of the institution.

“The stakeholders here today also have the opportunity to ascertain the degree of accomplishments made by our Institution in pursuing the mandate to expand the frontiers of knowledge and using acquired knowledge to improve the quality of life and normal fibre of the people.

“The final aspect of any convocation is to engage in national discourse that may affect policy making in the tertiary education sector where Polytechnics play a magnificent role of housing the nation’s best trained technological oriented minds,” he said.

The Rector said that the convocation is the first of its kind in the Polytechnic and a combined ceremony for four sets of graduates of the Polytechnic over a six-year period.

He explained that the graduating students were found worthy of learning and character and approved by the Academic Board of the Polytechnic for the award of National and Higher National Diploma in various courses.

He said: “I find this event a rare opportunity to publicly appreciate the Visitor to this Polytechnic- President Muhhammadu Buhari, and his able Minister for Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, for reposing implicit confidence in the management.

“Niger Delta Region is an Oil and Natural Gas resources community and constitutes a core national economic base for the Petroleum sector in Nigeria.

“Bayelsa state for a long time has experienced neglect in terms of development despite being one of the major oil producing states in the country.

“The strategic initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria to therefore establish the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa state, was a critical and much needed step to advance technological education and national presence in the South-South region,” he explained.

Seiyaboh said that the symbiotic relationship between the supervisory ministry, the Governing Council and the management over the past years has brought a measure of positive change to the Polytechnic’s life.

He explained that a scrutiny of the results submitted and approved by Academic Board from various Departments, Schools, and Academic Board shows that the certificates and diplomas were duly earned by the graduates.

The Rector said that the Polytechnic is making a proclamation that by awarding the certificates and diplomas, it certifies that the moral leaning and conducts of the graduates are satisfactory.

In his Vote of Thanks, the Registrar, Dr J.T. Babalola, commended the press for highlighting the challenges of difficult terrain faced by

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