The Rector of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Abdul-Jimoh Muhammed, has appealed to the state governor to assist the institution with a perimeter fence on its 35-kilometre land to stop encroachment on its land by suspected land grabbers.

The rector made the appeal at the 29th convocation of the polytechnic held on Thursday.

According to the rector, even though the government had paid the villagers who owned the land compensation since 1974, they were still encroaching and building on the polytechnic land.

He said, “The estimated value of the land of the Kwara State Polytechnic, which stretches to about 35 kilometres, is put at N26bn in today’s value of the land. Despite the efforts of the management, people are still constructing buildings on the polytechnic’s land.

“Entrance through the main gate of the polytechnic presents a worrisome sight with unauthorised structures emerging on both sides of the road. The presence of these illegal structures poses a great challenge to the security of the institution.”

He said the polytechnic was investing a huge amount of money in partnering with various security agencies in the area of provision of security as a result of the menace.

Mohammed appealed to the state government to assist in stopping the menace of selling the institution’s land by land grabbers.

He said, “The management, though appreciates the state government effort, we wish to appeal to the government to do more to stop the menace of selling the public properties.”

He also appealed to the alumni association of the institution and philanthropists to come to the aid of the institution by constructing a fence around the polytechnic campus.