Dr. Philipa Idogho, an alumnus and first female Rector of Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State, spoke to some journalists, including GODWIN IJEDIOGOR about her stewardship in the last four years and how she is taking the institution to greater heights, especially in academic excellence and infrastructural development.WHAT is the feeling being the first female Rector of Auchi Polytechnic'It is a privilege to be the first female Rector of the polytechnic that made me; it is an opportunity for me to give back to this institution that brought me to limelight.Four years on, how would you describe your tenure'Four years down the line, I would say we have done very well, having taken the polytechnic to an enviable height.In last year's Webometrics report ranking of higher institutions in the world, Auchi Polytechnic was named the best polytechnic in Nigeria and West Africa. We were rated the 11th best higher institution in Nigeria and the only polytechnic on the list.This year, we have moved up one notch to the 10th position, remaining the best polytechnic in Nigeria and West Africa and the second best in the whole of Africa.That simply shows that we have improved significantly since the last four years and we will keep improving.Being rated along with the universities means that the standard here is high; it shows the level of academic attainment here, since it has to do with scholarly endeavours.We send our staff to attend seminars and workshop at home and abroad, where they also present papers.What is the magic wand behind these'The magic is pursuing the vision and the mission. If you have a written vision and a mission on your job and you remain focused, no matter the odds, you will achieve what you set out to achieve as a leader or manager.At what point did you realise that the office of Rector goes beyond administration to include infrastructural development'I realised that as a teacher, especially as Dean of School of Part-Time Studies (now Evening Studies). As a teacher in the institution, I knew the pains students went through; I saw students standing outside the classroom windows for hours receiving lectures and I wondered the kind of lectures one could get under such circumstance without any interaction with the teacher.That was not the situation in our days as students in the school, because there were fewer students and enough space for everybody. As more people accessed higher education, the facilities were stretched to the limits, especially with Auchi Polytechnic being a major institution in the entire South-South then and even now and one of the oldest in the country.That was why immediately I came on board, I decided to focus on infrastructural development, as well as the human resources to ensure they are well educated and in tune with modern trends across the world.In the area of human development, having realised that our staff were lacking in computer literacy. Barely five per cent of the staff were computer literate when I assumed office, so we started training them, because with that, we can achieve a whole lot of things, as we actually have done today.We collaborated with the then Afribank (now MainStreet Bank), which linked up Omatek Computers Limited to supply 500 laptops to our staff to be paid for within 24 months. The different unions later started buying for their members under the same installmental payment option.We also encouraged staff, academic and non-academic, to further their education, because my vision was that at the end of the day, if Auchi Polytechnic is going to be assessed for university status, we wouldn't be found lacking in human development. So, we now have high-level personnel in the institution.When I came in, we had just about five doctorate degree holders, but today, we have over 29 staff with or undergoing doctorate degree programmes.Given the history of Auchi Polytechnic, if each administration had done as much as this, the institution would have gone places by now. Where did you get the funds to execute all these projects in less than four year'Managing available resources, being organised and able to reach out are attributes every manager should possess to make progress.I have been able to reach out to people to develop this institution to the level it is today.I have also been able to maximally utilise the resources we generate internally to achieve what I have achieved. What we couldn't achieve on our own, I reach out to people for some special interventions.And before you ask for interventions, you have to make them see the much you achieved with the much you had. It is only then that they can be spurred to assist you.One of the first projects we executed on assumption of office was to change the outlook of the school, first by constructing more befitting gates at the two entries to the school.The next thing was to construct perimeter fence round the school, at least to control entry to and exit from the school and ensure security. Atimes, I wonder how we were able to do all these.But I think it was because we were focused, hardworking and not distracted by critics and criticisms. As a leader, when people see that you are working, they don't know how you are managing to get things done with the little resources at your disposal. I thank God for what we have been able to achieve.My predecessors, well, did their beats, with the resources at their disposal. But some people say it is even during my tenure that the institution is getting less funds through students intake.This is because we try as much as possible to adhere to our carrying capacity; that is admitting the number of student that has been approved for us by the National Board for technical Education (NBTE).So, how have you been taking the criticisms'I have been taking them in good faith, because I am trained as a leader, and as a leader, you cannot assess yourself very well if there are no criticisms, objectives ones I mean. It is when there are critics and criticisms that you really sit back, assess yourself and chart a way forward.The important thing is not to allow such to distract you from the path your have charted for you, and that is exactly what I have been doing since I came on board. The records are there for all to see.A leader must not allow criticism to weigh him or her down, and that is where my secretarial training has come handy.Could your training in secretarial studies/administration have contributed to your ability to do this much'The secretarial profession serves as a springboard to any other profession, because it disciplines and makes you conservative, confidential, hospitable, loyal, resourceful, etc, which the professional brings to bear in whatever he or she is doing.I just believe that God, through my academic trainings and experiences, prepared me for this position.What have been the encumbrances and challenges'Inadequate funds is the major one. If I have the kind of money I am looking for, I would change Auchi Polytechnic a small London.Another issue is individuals who feel things should continue the way they were; who want business as usual.People are not adaptable to change; some wanted the rot in the system to continue. If I had agreed with them, there would have been no development in the institution today and I am determined to continue along that path.What would you say to your critics'God bless them.What is your driving force'The spirit of God; I put God first in everything I do. He urges me on; I don't come into my office without visiting the Blessed Sacrament.Another thing is that I have a stable home. My husband is always there for me and also urges me on when stress come.Finally, I have a good team and students that understand my vision and mission and keyed into them.What is your plan for the institution in the next few years, given another term, having done so much in the last four years, including the developed of the second campus'What we have done with the Campus 2 is to decongest the main campus, so that the students can have a better environment for learning. My doctorate thesis was the perception of a good climate for learning, using universities in Edo State as samples, and that is what I have brought to bear on that campus.When you enter the polytechnic, you ought to see a climate of people who have focus; who are in clusters or in congested environment.I want a situation where the students are comfortable. We are taking the hospital annex there, an outdoor park, where students can relax, as well as an arm of the library.We are planning in the nearest future to move one of the schools in the main campus there, while also constructing roads.We are going to make it a model campus, following our design.We have started the construction of a new administrative block to be completed in the next three years.
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