In a bid to find lasting solutions to the challenges confronting the Abia State Polytechnic,Aba,Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed the convocation of a summit of stakeholders of the institution.
Abia state commissioner for Information Chief John Okiyi Kalu, disclosed that stakeholders slated for the summit include the National President of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, Comrade Anderson Ezeibe; his NASUP counterpart as well as the local Chairmen and Secretaries of the relevant unions who would join the management team of the institution, state ministry of Education and relevant government officials, to a 3-day summit which will hold from 20th – 22nd September, 2020.
He explained that the summit would discuss issues of irregular payment of staff and repositioning the Polytechnic to take leading role in the training of next generation technologists equipped to drive innovation in the state and Nigeria.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that Ikpeazu who recently appointed a new Rector for the Polytechnic is worried about the structure of the institution which has made it difficult for it to regularly meet its wage obligations, leading to recurring industrial actions by staff unions.
According to the Commissioner,“We cannot afford to allow the bleeding at Abia Poly to continue as the institution is key to the realization of our dream of leading the rest of the country in technological advancement as our forebears did with ‘ikpu uzu’.
“It is therefore necessary for us to sit down and collectively agree on a way forward that will ensure that staff, students and other stakeholders are happy to contribute their quota to realizing the dreams that led to the setting up of the institution.”
Pointblanknews.com sources hinted that the Abia State Polytechnic has found it difficult to pay about 18 months arrears of salaries to its workers following bloated workforce and mismanagement by past Rectors of the institution ,especially Prof.Ezionye Friday Eboh.
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