Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions , NASU Urges federal and state governments to fund polytechnic education in the country.

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) on Tuesday

decried the low level of funding of polytechnic education in the country.

Mr Simon Go’ar, Chairman/Deputy President, NASU, Polytechnics & Others Trade Group Council, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Go’ar said that over the years, the polytechnics had been neglected by the federal and state governments.

He said that there was no way the country could achieve technological breakthrough with the present low level of funding of polytechnic education.

Go’ar, therefore, urged government at both levels to systematically increase their annual budgets for the polytechnics sub-sector.

“If our desire to attain technological advancement is to be achieved, government must increase the budgetary allocation to the polytechnic sector,’’ he said.

Go’ar said the staggering poverty level among the citizenry which was caused by high level of unemployment in the country was worrisome.

He said that despite the abundant natural resources Nigeria was endowed with, its citizens still wallow in abject poverty and squalor.

“In spite the country’s fortunes arising from the excess crude oil sales in the recent past, nothing tangible was done by previous administrations to alleviate the poverty of the citizens through job creation.

“We are delighted that the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has matched his words with action by making provision for the creation of about 500,000 jobs in the economy in the 2016 budget.

“We express hope that if the budget is implemented to the letter, this will go a long way in reducing the current high rate of unemployment in the country.

“It will also in extension, reduce to the barest minimum the socio-economic problems that are associated with poverty and unemployment,’’ he said. (NAN)