ABIA: Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, Bans Statement of Results, Handouts Sales, Introduces Digitalised System with QR-Coded Certificates

The management of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State, has announced a sweeping reform in its academic and administrative processes, declaring the abolition of “statements of results” and “sales of handouts.”

Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Christopher Okoro, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the new executive of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, to his office on Wednesday.

Dr. Okoro said the decision was part of a deliberate move to streamline academic procedures, eliminate exploitation of students, and build a culture of efficiency and transparency. He explained that all results will henceforth be processed digitally and made available online within six weeks after examinations.

“Once the examinations are over, all results must be uploaded six weeks after. So, students don’t need to go and meet the lecturers,” he stated.

According to the rector, the institution has also outlawed the compulsory purchase of handouts and textbooks by students. He revealed that certificates issued by the polytechnic now carry QR codes, enabling employers and relevant institutions to verify their authenticity in real time.

Dr. Okoro questioned the relevance of issuing “statements of results,” which he described as exploitative and outdated.

He asked: “How will a student finish up after five years if you give the person a paper and call it a statement of results? The person will carry it, probably pay for the clearance, and come back after years for certificates. And you still collect money again from the same person, and start looking for the files again. I said that is not right.”

Beyond these reforms, the rector highlighted that the polytechnic had cleared 36 months of salary arrears inherited from previous administrations and had significantly improved infrastructure. He added that the institution, which was once de-registered by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), had now secured full accreditation for all its 33 programmes and approval for 17 new ones, including artificial intelligence, cyber security, mechatronics engineering, and fashion design technology.

Dr. Okoro commended Governor Alex Otti for his strong support to the polytechnic, describing the governor’s leadership as visionary. 

He said, “his leadership thinks not just for the now but for the future.”

Earlier in his remarks, Steve Oko, chairperson of the Correspondents Chapel, praised the rector as a “phenomenal agent of change” who had “transformed the institution from obscurity to stardom” in just one and a half years.

He encouraged the rector to maintain harmonious relations with staff and management, while also calling on the polytechnic to design innovative programmes that respond to society’s current challenges and conduct research with real-life impact.

Mr. Oko further advised the rector to engage only with professional journalists and avoid quacks, particularly “untrained social media practitioners.”