From Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Aleibiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state has said the national body of the union will be constrained to use normative instruments at their disposal to swiftly mobilise members from all the chapters in the zone, consisting of all Polytechnics, Monotechnics, Colleges of Technology in South-South and South-East Nigeria, for picketing and a peaceful protest in Yenagoa, if the appointment of the Rector is not reversed.
ASUP also said that the national body would escalate the actions to intervention agencies and other regulatory bodies, saying this may affect accreditation of programs in the institution and access to intervention funds from both TETFUND, NEEDS Assessment, and other intervention agencies.
Addressing Press Conference at the Ernest Ikoli Press Center in Yenagoa the state capital, the Zonal Coordinator South South and South East Dr. Richard Iloma said, For now, the strike subsists while further engagements with government continues. “We believe that at the end of the day, a victory will be assured, and the people will go back to their duty posts again”.
According to him, ” our attention has been drawn to the relentless and very suspicious efforts of the Governing Council of Bayelsa State Polytechnic Alebiri to defend her indefensible, strange, and regrettable reappointment of Dr. Wisdom Clinton Sori, a former retired Rector of the institution, in flagrant violation of all enabling laws.
“Rather than do what is honorable by admitting her procedural blunders, the Council has been busy issuing several press releases aimed at presenting the Union in a bad light and instigating the state government against her by maintaining that the appointment received the approval of His Excellency following Council’s recommendation.
“Apart from the retired status of the former Rector, which automatically bars him from applying, we make bold to state that Council fell short of the step-by-step procedures outlined in the Polytechnic Establishment Law on how a Rector can be appointed. And it is our desire that Council tells the public the extent to which they complied to these laws.
“The procedures. What are the procedures provided by the law? They include, one, widely advertise the vacant position of the Rector so that all eligible serving academic staff members can apply. Two, constitute a search team comprising of two lecturers, Chief Lecturers from the Academic Board and two other Chief Lecturers who are not members of the Academic Board. Three, constitute a Joint Council and Academic Board Selection Board as required by the Establishment Law. Four, recommend three successful candidates to the Visitor for appointment.
“We make bold to say that the Council failed completely in all these steps, as it never applied any. Having failed to comply with any of the above clearly stated step-by-step procedures, and yet recommending a name, it will therefore be correct to conclude that Council deliberately deceived His Excellency into believing that she had done her due diligence procedurally, and that what was remaining was for him to either approve or disapprove, and as such plunging the institution into this avoidable crisis, and bringing the state to public ridicule”.
Answering questions on the possibility of the governor using his office to appoint or reappoint a Rector, Dr Richard said, there was a concealment of facts which the governor thought the right thing was done, whereas it was not done. ” But it’s a known fact that person that have attained the retirement age of 65 years cannot be appointed”.
“We are very sure if there was no concealment of truth, the governor would have taken a right decision and it’s the responsibility of those who concealed such viral information to governor to apologize publicly. Because no individual in the history of the country has appointed a pensioner to the office Rector. So, it’s risky to entrust such an Institution onto a retiree to manage”.
“Today, we had a meaningful engagement with the Honourable Commissioners of Education, Labour, and Information where all the facts were once again laid bare. We are very confident that our Prosperity Governor who is known for his respect for due process will direct accordingly once the report of this meeting is conveyed to him in the overall interest of the state”, he concluded.
