Edo State Polytechnic, Usen is to train and certify vulcanizers in the state on best practices in the industry, with a view to enhancing their knowledge and reducing accident on the road.
The Polytechnic Rector, Professor Abiodun Falodun made the disclosure at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the management of the institution and leadership of the vulcanizers association.
The Rector observed that the institution is interested in running a partnership that would be productive to vulcanizers and not a partnership to extort or exploit them.
He observed that “Edo State Polytechnic and her management would not participate in anything that would lead to exploitation. Due process and diligence would be followed. Because, if you want to train a people, you must from the beginning let the people know the details of the partnership.
“I don’t want a situation whereby when we leave here, the next thing we would hear is that Edo Poly is in the news; that we are extorting or exploiting vulcanizers. That is not the partnership we want to sign.”
He expressed the belief that vulcanizers are very critical to the overall wellbeing of the society, especially when it comes to safety of lives and property on the road.
While stressing the need for the training and retraining of vulcanizers, Professor Falodun maintained that when vulcanizers do not do their work properly, it could lead to low productivity, thereby resulting in accident.
The Rector expressed the readiness of the polytechnic to partner with other artisans, including plumber, mechanic.