PROTOCOLS

It is with much gratitude in my heart that I stand before you today to declare open this August ceremony titled second matriculation of this great institution of repute and potentiality. Indeed, I welcome and thank you all for honouring our invitation despite your tight schedules. Please feel great and be rest assured that you are in a safe and serene academic environment. Our vision, mission, core-values and motto describe who we are and what we do and can do and offer at all times.

Indeed, our vision is to be recognized as the leading institution in the middle and high level manpower training and development for the oil and gas industry in Bonny Kingdom, Nigeria, Africa and the globe, in general. Our mission is to meet these middle and high level manpower development of the Oil and Gas Sector in Nigeria and the whole West African sub-regions, especially in line with industry needs, community aspirations as well as forging partnerships with world class institutions. Our core values are Integrity, excellence, quality and community service; and our motto is excellence and creativity.

In upholding all of the above mentioned, the institution is bound to producing a group of people I refer to as OCEAN BRAINS which in interpretation means; “Our Consortium of Educated and Active Nobles; who are Brilliant, Reliable/Responsible, Amiable and Intelligent Nobles and Scholars that can always network with the knowledge they have to further galvanise themselves and our nation Nigeria in general.

Let me inform you that such group of people (OCEAN BRAINS) would always exhibit Responsibility, Integrity, Discipline and Empathy for One another in their own Nation; a slogan which I also call RIDE ON!

With this 2nd matriculation ceremony, it is implied that all that are hearing my voice, and especially those that are being matriculated today are being inducted into exhibiting RIDE ON and act as OCEAN BRIANS through networking and engaging in meaningful activities such as innovation, creativity, intuition, entrepreneurship and invention and should be ready to bring about revolution into our nation, Nigeria through Science and Technology activities.

It is only through Science and Technology related activities we shall all make our immediate environment a serene and functional system. Indeed, this is what education is all about, and this is what the Government through the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny and the 3rd Governing Council and the Management stand for and henceforth, FPOG, Bonny shall be known despite the ills that were done to her in the past by some of her leaders that caused her stunted growth.

In fact, the 3rd Governing Council appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, which was inaugurated in April, 2021, has never rested in cleaning up all the mess they came and saw. It is this Governing Council that is now putting the institution in order as a functional system. Lecturers and students have their ordeals and success stories to tell since the inception of this institution and when the 3rd governing Council swung into action after their inauguration.

Confirmation and Promotions which were denied several deserved staff but were denied them have been given them. Also, two sets of Students admitted from the inception of academic activities that were not graduated have been graduated from five departments which have accreditation and more departments are going to be accreditation on or before the 2022 year runs out. The management, staff and students have given Kudos to the third Governing Council led by Daddy as I fondly call him, Adebayo Adedayo Otunba and his able council members. God will immensely bless all the members of this 3rd Governing Council.

Everyone here present is therefore enjoined to go for quality and functional education and shun all forms of vices that are implicating and thus endeavour to become OCEAN BRAINS. Please, by so doing endeavour to say NO to cultism, examination malpractice, militancy, drug abuse, gambling, armed robbery, petty stealing, prostitution, abortion, indecent dressing, littering, gangsters, certificate forgery, hate speech, sexual harassment and all forms of malpractices which are inimical to quality and functional education.

Let us dedicate ourselves to goodwill and other meaningful activities that would improve our lives as well decide within yourselves not to take part in any of the above-mentioned anomalies, but set appropriate goals for yourselves and determine to achieve them so as to make progress in life.

No student should bribe lecturers or any staff to find favour and if any lecturer or staff asks for bribe or to buy unlawful lecture notes, please report such person(s) to the management by dropping a complaint in the complaint/suggestion box that would be situated soon at the administrative building. Let me also warn that on no occasion should any staff or student be found wanting because the law would not be economised on him or her; such mean persons would be made to face the music. Also, as the Holy Bible advises in Proverbs 1:10. “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” (KJV) let me so advice all staff and students to be of good behaviour.

It is at this juncture I would like implore all students to model after good people in the society and those scientists and technologists who have made life easier for people to live within the environment (planet earth).

Listen to this attentively. In this great institution, we are looking to producing contemporaries and geniuses with ingenuity like those past and present icons who are great philosophers, entrepreneurs, educators, scientists and technologists such as Socrates, Plato, Isaac Newton, Gregor Mendel, Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Bill Gate who decided to invent windows, etc.

Our libraries, workshops and laboratories are world class learning environments with capable manpower dedicated to producing well baked material and human products. We have accreditation for five unique departments now, which include Computer Science, Statistics, Electrical Electronics, Environmental Safety Engineering Technology, Petroleum Marketing and Business Management.

Thirteen other departments will soon be given accreditation on or before the end of the year 2022 include the following:

1.         Mechanical engineering Technology

2.         Chemical Engineering Technology

3.         Petroleum and Gas Processing Engineering Technology

4.         Business Administration

5.         Architectural Technology

6.         Maritime Transport Technology

7.         Library and Information Science

8.         Public Administration

9.         Computer engineering

10.       Accountancy

11.       Survey and Geo-Information Science

12.       Building Technology

13.       Welding and Fabrication,

Our School of Continuing Education (SCE) and other units such are Entrepreneurship Centre, Consultancy Unit, Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre and Advancement Centre are windows through which the institution partners with other well-meaning organisations to offer required skills and services to desirous youths in the Bonny Community, the Niger Delta region and the nation in general.

It is at this juncture I like to encourage both staff and students as well as everyone here present to encourage candidates desiring to gain admission into tertiary institutions to identify and register with this great institution also called “centre for excellence and creativity.” Those of you who are matriculating and you older students count yourselves privileged to have come to study in this great institution; because you will become greater than your predecessors who have made waves in the science and technology industries in the world.

The greatest barrier hindering candidates from accepting admission now is lack of access road to the institution which will soon be over as a formidable road to connect the institution to other parts of the country will soon be completed. On this, I register my appreciation and congratulate the Federal Government led by our President Muhammadu Buhari and the foremost gas company in Nigeria, the Nigeria LNG, for paying attention to the plight of people living in Grand Bonny Kingdom by approving to construct such a formidable road to link the famous island of Bonny to other parts of the nation. This indeed will reduce cost of living and high inflation peculiar to Bonny Island and its environs.

I am praying through this medium to the Federal Government, the State Governor, His Majesty, the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, the Chairman of Bonny LGA, the Management of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), other International Oil and Gas Companies (IOCs) and other companies and banks operating in Bonny Kingdom, as well as, good-spirited philanthropists and personalities in and around Grand Bonny Kingdom, to partner with the 3rd Governing Council and my Management to give a facelift to this great institution of repute and potentiality. When this is actualised, I believe this unique polytechnic will produce full-baked graduates that would in turn contribute meaningfully to rapid and sustainable development of our great nation which has already acquired the name “Giant of Africa”.

God bless us all and our great nation Nigeria!

Long Live Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny!!

Long Live Grand Bonny Kingdom!!!

Long Live Rivers State!!!!

Long Live Federal Ministry of Education!!!!!

Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!!!!

Thank you all for listening.