The President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Mr Anderson Ezeibe, on Wednesday said the body had approached the court to seek redress over the appointment of five “unqualified” rectors for newly established polytechnics in the country by the Federal Government.

Ezeibe, who spoke during the 100th National Executive Council meeting held at the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, said the appointment was against the Polytechnic Act 2019.

He said, “The union is already in court with the Federal Government on the matter. We have already served them, the appointing authority, that is the Presidency, through substituted means in one of the national dailies.

“And we have gotten an order of court to serve them by substituted means and of course, to join these five persons appointed as rectors into these polytechnics.”

The ASUP president, who berated the Federal Government over the appointment, explained that to be qualified as a rector, such a person must be a Chief Lecturer with at least a minimum of five years in any of the polytechnics.

“Recently the Federal Government announced into existence six new federal polytechnics in Cross River State, Oyo, Plateau, Benue and Borno states.

“Unfortunately, five out of the six rectors that were appointed into this newly established polytechnics are neither chief lecturers nor from any polytechnics in Nigeria. What it means is that they have fallen short of the qualifications required to be in that office,” Ezeibe said

He also called on the Edo State Government to pay five months salary arrears owed the workers of Edo State Polytechnic, Usen.

The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philips Shaibu, who was represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Jimoh Ijegbai, said the government was aware of the lingering labour issues at the Edo Polytechnic, saying  adequate steps were being taken to address it.

The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Mustapha Zubair, urged the union to choose dialogue in pursuing its agitation, adding that the just concluded strike by the union yielded positive result following the release of N15bn for the development of polytechnics in Nigeria.

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