The Nigerian polytechnic student body has bestowed *”National Outstanding Leadership Performance Award 2022″* on the Group Managing Director (GMD) Fendini, and House of Representatives hopeful for Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency II Lagos, *Prince (Hon) Laja Adeoye* over his leadership and undying efforts towards the development of Education in Nigeria.
The student body from South-west Zone, comprising delegates from Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Ogun State presented the Award today with the presence of immediate past president of National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), *Comrade Olalere Benedict Adetunji* who led other comrades representing the cordinator, *Comrade Olusola Soetan*.
In attendance was also the Special Assistant on Student affairs to *Governor Seyi Makinde*, the executive Governor of Oyo state *Hon Victor Olojede*, and other members of Fendini group.
*Hon Laja* recalled his activities during his _aluta_ days as a Student union executive at the Polytechnic and also as one of the foremost political leader at the University of Lagos in his time, he noted that leadership is not what one just wake up one day and take up, it is an inbuilt thing, which is a propelling force in you wherever you find yourself.
Laja specially thank the organizers for the award saying that he enjoys so much supports from Students in his Constituency, and that his #BetterDeal agenda has alot of plans to support students to excel in their academic pursuit, because doing so, we are impacting lives and changing the horizon in various families.
According to him, the nation can only move forward and make appreciable progress when the the government takes education seriously with deliberate funding and research grants.
As part of my vision when the opportunity arise at the legistlative or executive level, research funding and overhauling of curriculum will be a focus, so that conventional and technical education will be at par with global best practices, so that our students can compete sufficiently wherever they find themselves across the globe.
Polytechnic education is a bedrock to our technology and human resource need in the country, providing highly skilled and technical manpower, which create enabling environment for the implementation of local content, where engineers needed for various development are provided.
I know for sure that, most of the top people in engineering and other fields are products of the polytechnic, urging the State and Federal Government to allocate more funding to Technical education.
“My constituency *Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency II* in Lagos is a perfect example, it houses a campus of the Lagos State polytechnic (LASPOTECH), and the products of the institution have been doing wonderfully well in their fields of endeavor. The institution got approval to be changed to a University recently I believe. However, there is still need for more investments in Technical education for more productivity…” He emphasized.
He also used the occasion to call on the Federal Government to resolve the lingering ASUU crisis, because the Students who are idle at home are likely to take to crimes and criminalities, which will cause more havoc on the Nation.
Laja also thanked the organizers of the award, and promised to do lot more through advocacy and in whatever capacity he and his organization can to partner with student bodies on development of Education and human resources.
Signed:
Comrade Abdulwasiu Temitope
Director of Media and Public Communication,
Laja Adeoye Campaign Organization (LACO) 2023
