John’s Fall and 273 Other Students: Inside Kogi Poly’s Withdrawal Story

By Dada Ahmed.

When John gained admission into the Department of Accounting at Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, in 2024, it was a moment of pride and celebration,not only for him but for his entire family. As the first son and the first in his household to attend a higher institution, he carried the dreams of many. He arrived on campus full of hope and with the unspoken burden of blazing a trail for his younger siblings.

But excitement soon gave way to distraction and disappointment.

Instead of focusing on his studies, John quickly became entangled with the wrong crowd. Within weeks, he had joined a clique of students known more for their nightlife and notoriety than for academic diligence. Parties, binge drinking, and hard drug use replaced lectures and tutorials.

Before long, John was skipping classes, missing assignments, and underperforming in assessments. According to one of his classmates, Mohammed Ali,he even failed to show up for some of his examinations. Back home, his parents’ calls and messages went unanswered. Deep down, John knew he wasn’t just failing academically,but failing the trust and expectations placed upon him.

At the end of the first semester results ,John’s name appeared on the list of 273 students withdrawn by Kogi Polytechnic for poor academic performance. The letter of withdrawal didn’t just end his academic journey; it marked the derailment of a dream. And John is just one of many.

“The Academic Board of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has approved the first semester results for the 2024/2025 academic session, with 273 students withdrawn for poor academic performance.

“This decision is among the major resolutions reached at the Board’s 120th meeting, held on Thursday, April 17, at the Board Room of the Polytechnic’s Main Campus in Lokoja.

“The affected students cut across 20 departments and 42 academic programmes,”Uredo Omale,the institution’s Director of Information said, adding that six other students were expelled for examination misconduct.

The announcement of the withdrawal of 273 students naturally sent shockwaves through the academic and parent communities in Kogi State and beyond. The statement is clear: the students were removed for failing to meet the academic requirements of the polytechnic.

While the action was within institutional regulations, the development sparked a wider conversation: What is behind such high academic failure rates and what can be done to prevent it?

Under the leadership of its Rector, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, Kogi Polytechnic has built a reputation for discipline and academic excellence But for many, the mass withdrawal is not just a statistic,it is a symbol of broken dreams, wasted resources, and systemic other issues. Many parents blame their children for lackadaisical attitude towards their educational pursuits.

“Kogi State Polytechnic, especially under the leadership of Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, is widely known for placing great importance on students’ education. He consistently emphasizes this during matriculation and convocation ceremonies. Unfortunately, some students choose to ignore his advice, which explains the recent mass withdrawal of students due to poor academic performance,”said Malam Mohammed Ogirima, a father of four university graduates.

Oiza, a Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate in Computer Science from Kogi State Polytechnic, shared her experience as a student, revealing that some of her colleagues scored as low as 1.0 out of 5.0 in their semester examinations.

“This is unacceptable. The polytechnic management provided us with an enabling environment to excel academically. Unfortunately, some of my colleagues failed to take advantage of that opportunity by focusing on their studies and striving for excellence,”she said.

Other concerned members of the society who spoke on the development subscribed to the fact that at the heart of the huge withdrawal of the students is a lack of academic preparedness. Many students enter tertiary institutions without the foundational knowledge and study skills required to cope. Their poor grounding in subjects like English, Mathematics, and Science,often exposed by WAEC and NECO results,suggests that the problem begins long before they enter a lecture hall.

Secondary schools, therefore, cannot be absolved. The culture of “sorting” for grades contribute to producing underprepared students. This and other shortcomings set them up for failure in higher institutions where independence and intellectual rigour are required.

Education analysts argue that parents also have a share in the blame. According to them,some parents push their children into institutions too early or into courses they’re not mentally prepared for. Many assume that gaining admission equals success, forgetting that continuous guidance, encouragement, and monitoring are still needed at the tertiary level.

“Little did some parents know that paying school fees is not enough, but that students also need emotional, moral, and intellectual support,” a retired educationist,Oguche Simon notes.

The contention in certain quarters is that,students too must also acknowledge their role in the course of attaining educational excellence. They need to know and prepare for the fact that their shift from secondary school to tertiary education requires maturity, discipline, time management, and focus. Unfortunately, some of the students usually fall prey to the trap of excessive freedom, peer pressure, and distractions,be it social media, parties, or romantic relationships.Others simply lack good study habits and critical thinking skills needed to succeed academically.

Concerned members of the public believe that the withdrawal of 273 students and six others, for examination misconduct, should not be seen merely as a punitive measure,but more of a wake-up call to all stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector to tight belt in solving the problem.

Putting behind this challenge in the disbin of history in the Polytech requires urgent and multi-pronged strategies, including revamping secondary education,shifting focus from certification to actual knowledge and ensuring regular training and retraining of teachers, according to education experts.

They also stressed the need for stricter supervision and enforcement of teaching standards,proper career counseling units to help students align with realistic academic paths. They called for strengthening academic support in the institution and improve its orientation programmes to teach more life skills like time management and mental health.

Establishment of peer mentoring, regular academic counseling, and targeted intervention for at-risk students,invest in e-learning tools and library resources to encourage independent learning will also serve as an effective panacea to the problem have also be identified as viable solution to the problem.

Parents parents must maintain open communication with their wards, attend parent-institution meetings and follow up on academic reports and act swiftly upon noticing signs like withdrawal, poor grades, or excessive socializing. This is because parental involvement in the concerted efforts to find lasting solution to the problem is crucial.

Educationists observed that while the Kogi State Government has made giant efforts to improve education, more is required,increased investment in public education , formulating policies that further encourage curriculum reviews, digitization, and modernization of learning processes, not short-term fixes, becomes imperative.

As an educational analyst Nathaniel Umoru noted at a recent public event in Lokoja, a culture that celebrates fraud, thuggery, and social media stardom over intellectual achievement demoralizes students who might otherwise excel, urging that society must revalue education and hard work.

Community and religious leaders, too,he added,must use their platforms to reinforce this valid message.

The withdrawal of students from Kogi State Polytechnic is not just a matter of policy,it is a mirror held up to society. It reflects broader issues in parenting, governance, school management, and societal values.

Each withdrawn student represents a lost opportunity,and potentially a future security risk, as some may turn to antisocial behaviors out of frustration.

As Kogi State dreams of building a more prosperous future, stakeholders must focus not just on constructing infrastructure, but also on building better students and stronger educational foundations. Only then can the state harness the full potential of its youth.

By and large, the students must understand that the responsibility lies with them to embrace hard work, resilience, and total abstinence from all forms of antisocial behavior that could rob them of the golden opportunity to graduate from the Polytechnic with flying colours. With that, they will be in proper vantage
to contribute meaningfully to the social, economic, and political development of Kogi State, Nigeria and beyond the shores of the country.

Dada Ahmed, a retired Assistant Editor-In-Chief,News Agency of Nigeria,NAN,is the Publisher of The Reporters.
ahmeddada008@gmail.com