Simon Ebegbulem
24 November 2009
Benin — GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has offered automatic employment to graduates of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, who emerged overall best in their various departments.
He announced this at the 17th Convocation Ceremony of the institution held, weekend, in Auchi, Edo State.
Decrying a situation where no convocation was held in the institution in the last five years, the governor argued that part of the reasons institutions of higher learning in the country witnessed constant crisis and restiveness was that the leadership was always in the habit of abusing the privile-ges and rights of the young people.
According to him, "a graduate is entitled to the original certificate immedia-tely after graduation. That is what is obtainable everywhere around the world.
"You are not supposed to have a photocopied docu-ment that says certificate shall follow later. As long as we do not respect the rights of youths, we may not be entit-led to a graveyard peace."
He postulated that the beginning of peace must flow from justice and different sensitivity, adding that higher institutions must organize their convocations every year.
Comrade Oshiomhole reiterated that the best way to prosperity was to invest in knowledge and the acquisition of skills, stressing that society must play its role by guaranteeing jobs for graduating students.
"In Edo State, we do not indulge in lamentation. While some of my colleagues are retrenching and some neighbouring states are unable to pay salaries, we are able and I am proud to say that we have created 6,780 jobs under one year and we will continue to create more.
"How come that in my days, children were not in cult? What went wrong? You could see some correlation between the quality of governance and the deterioration of the youth," said the governor.
Oshiomhole commended former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, for his courageous decision to convert the institution from a state-owned polytechnic to a federal one, saying it was the quality of decisions that leaders make that history will remember them for.
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