THE VISITOR
The Federal Polytechnic (Amendment) Act, 2019 states that the President and Commander-in-Chief shall be the Visitor to the Polytechnic. He shall conduct visitation to the Polytechnic or appoint a Visitation Panel to conduct visitations from time to time. In practice, the Visitation Panel whenever constituted, scrutinizes all the activities of the Polytechnic, especially its performance in the teaching and learning delivery system and its financial transaction.
GOVERNING COUNCIL
The Federal Polytechnic Decree No. 33 of 1979 and the amended Act 2019 vested the general management of the Polytechnic in its Governing Council. The Council has the responsibility for the general control of the Property and Finances of the Polytechnic and is empowered to enter into Contracts, on behalf of the Polytechnic. The Council has the responsibility of approving the Budgetary Estimates of the Polytechnic before they are forwarded to the regulatory agency, which is the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for further necessary actions. The Council is responsible for the Appointment of all Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff except the Rector, who is appointed by the President through the recommendation of the Honourable Minister of Education.
The Council is limited to Policy formulation and does not get involved in the day-to-day administration of the Polytechnic.
The Chairman and four members of the Council are as stipulated by the amended Act appointed by the Federal Government and served on part-time basis. Other members of Council, which is now highly democratized with more internal members, include the Rector, the Deputy Rectors, two representative of Academic Board and three elected representative of congregation not below the rank of a Senior Lecturer, one of which must be a non-teaching staff; a representative of Alumni and other representations.
THE CONGREGATION
The Congregation is the general assembly of all graduate members of the Polytechnic staff, both Teaching and Non-Teaching. The Rector is its Chairman. The Congregation has the general function of serving as a Forum for discussing any Polytechnic problem or issue and has direct access to the decisions of Council and the Academic Board.
THE CONVOCATION
The Convocation is the body comprising all the Graduate Members of Staff as well as the Alumni of the Polytechnic. Like the Congregation, the Chairman of Convocation is the Rector. It has power to award Diplomas, prizes and confer Fellowship on eminent persons considered eligible for such honour.
THE RECTOR AND OTHER PRINCIPAL OFFICERS
The instrument conferring legal status on the Polytechnic, i.e. Decree No. 33 of 1979 and the Polytechnic Amended Act 2019 makes provision for the position of a Rector who is appointed by the President. The Rector is the Chief Academic and Administrative Officer of the Polytechnic. He is also the Chief Accounting Officer and has power to exercise general authority over all Staff and Students. The RECTORY division, under the direct supervision of the Rector is subdivided into several Units such as the Offices of the Rector; Deputy Rectors; Directorate of Protocol, Information and Public Relations; Internal Audit; Security Unit; Physical Planning; Maintenance and Services; Medical Services; Academic Planning; ICT/MIS; CRID; External Linkage; DUDAP; OOCEI; CEDVS among others.
OTHER PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE POLYTECHNIC
There are five other Principal Officers. They include the two Deputy Rectors, (Academic) as well as (Administration), who are appointed to assist the Rector in the performance of the responsibilities as may be outlined and delegated to them by the Rector from time to time.
There is also the Registrar, whose duties include assisting the Rector in the day-to-day Administration of the Polytechnic. Apart from keeping Records of all Staff and Students, the Registrar performs such other duties from time to time as the Rector may require her to undertake. The Registrar is also the Secretary to the Governing Council, the Academic Board and any Committee of the Council and the Board. As the Chief Administrative advisor to the Rector, the Registrar operates through smaller Registry Units under the overall supervision of the Office for the effective delivery of her functions.
The Bursar as the Chief Financial Advisor assists the Rector in the Management of the Finances of the Polytechnic. The Bursary Department is also sub-divided into smaller Units for Administrative convenience in the performance of its tasks as the Custodian of all the Financial Records of the Institution.
The Polytechnic Librarian is responsible to the Rector for the administration of the Library Facilities and Resources of the Institution. He is the head of the Library Department now known as the Polytechnic Digital Library, which also operates through some smaller Units for convenience.
TENURE OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS
The Federal Polytechnics Act (Amendment) Cap F19 of 2019 has altered the status of appointment of four Principal Officers to a single term of 5 years.
The resultant effect is that the Duty Posts are now held on single Tenure Basis. The Rector and three other Principal Officers – Registrar, Bursar and Polytechnic Librarian hold Office for a single term of 5 years each, while the Deputy Rectors are now appointed for a single term of 4 years only. The Deans of School and the Heads of Department hold offices on a term of 3 years each not immediately renewable.
ACADEMIC BOARD
The Federal Polytechnics’ Decree No. 33 of 1979 provides for an Academic Board, which shall be responsible for “the direction and management of Academic matters of the Polytechnic including the regulation of admission of Students, regulation of the Conduct of Examinations and approval of Results, the Award of Certificates, Diplomas, Scholarships, Prizes and other Academic distinctions. The membership of the Academic Board is as stipulated by the Law establishing it.
The Registrar, as Secretary to the Academic Board is saddled with the communication and implementation of its decisions.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Although Decree 33 of 1979 vests the Management of the Polytechnic on its Governing Council, the day-to-day management function is however carried out on behalf of the Governing Council by the Rector, who by virtue of the Office, is an automatic member of the Council whenever constituted.
In line with the provision of the law and in consonance with Section 3, Sub-section 6 of the Federal Polytechnics (Amendment) Act 2019, the Polytechnic has established a Management Committee made up of Principal Officers, Deans of School as well as Directors of Centres and Administrative Divisions. Like the Academic Board, the Rector is the Chairman of the Management Committee, which meets from time to time to advise the Rector in the performance of the Office. The Committee assists the Rector on Management issues and takes definite decisions in the overall interest of Staff and the Institutions.
DEANS OF SCHOOL
The Deans of School are the academic and administrative heads of the various schools in the Polytechnic. They are responsible to the Rector for maintaining efficient Management of their schools by coordinating the activities of the various departments in the Schools.
There are presently five (5) Schools and twenty-nine (29) academic departments namely, Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT) with three departments; Business Studies (SBS) with nine departments; Engineering Technology (SOE) with five (5) departments; Environmental Studies (SES) with six (6) departments and Science and Computer Studies (SSCS) with six (6) academic departments.
HEADS OF SERVICE UNIT, CENTRES AND DIRECTORATES
The Heads of Service Unit report to the Rector for the day to Administration of the respective units. Some of the Service Units which operates as Directorates, Centres or other nomenclature include; Physical Planning and Development, Maintenance and Services, Medical Services, Security Services etc.
ADVISORY/ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES
As earlier mentioned, the Rector constituted Advisory Committees to assist in the smooth running of the administration of the Institution and to involve a broad spectrum of the rank and file of the existing staff in the decision making process of Management.
By the Committee system, the Management is able to galvanize quality ideas that are necessary for policy formulation and implementation. The Committees are put in place to ease the burden of administration on the Management. At present, the Polytechnic has a total of 38 Advisory Committees in place.