The founder and proprietor of Gregory University, Uturu, Prof Gregory Ibe, who is also the Abia state standard-bearer of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the 2023 governorship elections, has decried the recent withdrawal of the accreditation status of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
This was as the state government and school authorities had assured of prompt plans to resolve the issue.
Reacting to the development, Prof Ibe sympathized with the students and staff of the institution whose academic programme has subsequently been truncated by the NBTE pronouncement.
According to Prof Ibe, “This is one withdrawal of accreditation too many. It is definitely not a good time to be an Abian academic. I am particularly pained by this sad development because of the preponderance of interventions I initiated through TETFUND collaborations and the distribution of palliatives to staff members as a way of forestalling this tragic outcome.
“Tell me what will be the fate of the unfortunate students whose academic progression has been forcefully truncated and the dilemma of staff members whose woes arising from many months of unpaid salaries have been further compounded?”
According to him, his evaluation of the current status of educational institutions in the state is the reason why he intends to declare a state of emergency on the education sector if elected governor in 2023.
He however announced his willingness to absorb OND-certified students of Abia Polytechnics in Gregory University Uturu to enable them to convert to degree scholars.
In his words, “Leveraging the unimpressive outcome of a survey conducted by industry experts on educational institutions in Abia state, which deployed Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indices and international best practices in education to assess the true health status of our primary, secondary and tertiary schools, I once again reaffirm my resolve to declare a state of emergency that will lead to comprehensive reform of the sector once I am elected governor in 2023.
“But to create an immediate response to the Abia Polytechnic debacle, I have requested the management of our institution to work out modalities for possible absorption of desiring OND certified students of Abia Poly into Gregory University Uturu for conversion to degree scholars”.
It will be recalled that Prof Ibe had in the past initiated the distribution of a large consignment of food materials to the staff of Abia State Polytechnic Aba and Abia State University Uturu while facilitating critical interventions by the federal government agencies for both institutions.
Meanwhile, following the action of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) against Abia State Polytechnic Aba, the governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has appealed to the students of Abia Polytechnic and other well-meaning people of the state to remain calm.
In a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG Barr Chris Ezem, the state government said it “views the decision of NBTE against the institution as very embarrassing and capable of destabilizing the current peace and harmony existing in the state, as the fate of the students of the institution appears to be jeopardized by the said action”.
The statement further noted that “It must be placed on record that Academic activities have been ongoing in the institution without interruptions; the teachers and staff of Abiapoly were not on strike and have remained committed to their duties.
“As part of the measure to reposition the institution, Government hereby announces the immediate dissolution and suspension of the council and management of the institution respectively.
“In line with the foregoing, the government has approved the constitution of a 6-man task force to restore the Accreditation of Abia Poly within 30 days”.
Membership of the task force, the statement said, includes Prof. Ikechi Mgboji as the Chairman and Mr Stanley Nwankpa, the school Student Union Government President as a member, among others.
Also addressing the students over the incident yesterday, the Rector of the school, Prof. Okorie Kalu Osonwa assured the students of the government’s quick resolution of the matter.
Prof. Osonwa informed that the polytechnic management is in talks with the state government to look for ways to resolve the issue.
He, therefore, urged the students not to be carried away by stories online, assuring that the issue will soon be resolved. He further advised them to continue with their academic activities.
It would however be recalled that the NTBE revoked the accreditation of the institution over the Institution’s failure to pay staff salaries and allowances for over 30 months.
In that statement issued on Tuesday, a spokesperson for NBTE, Fatima Abubakar, said the accreditation was withdrawn because the polytechnic had not shown any commitment to offset the arrears and ensure regular payment of salaries.
“It is, therefore, with the utmost sense of responsibility that the board has decided to withdraw the accreditation status of the polytechnic to safeguard the quality assurance mechanism of the board,” Ms Abubakar said, adding that the Governing Council and management of the polytechnic made several failed promises to settle the backlog of salary arrears.
She explained that regular salary payment was a key component of the board’s normative instruments for quality assurance in the polytechnics, technical, vocational education and training, and TVET institutions.
Ms Abubakar also mentioned that the board had earlier drawn the attention of the polytechnic’s management to the consequences of failing to pay salaries, including the suspension of quality assurance visits, informing “The board went the extra mile of writing to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, informing him of the dire situation of the polytechnic, but all to no avail,” she added.
The Board similarly warned the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC that “no product of the Abia State Polytechnic should be mobilized for national service until the management of the polytechnic resolves the issue of nonpayment of salary to its staffers, while the Board promised to notify the NYSC once the accreditation status of the polytechnic is restored.”
The NBTE official said the board has also sent a similar notice of the withdrawal of the accreditation to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and Industrial Training Fund to stop any official transaction with the polytechnic.
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