The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Kaduna Polytechnic chapter, has condemned the sales of the institution’s properties by the management of the institution.
It would be recalled that the lecturers petitioned the House of Representatives over the alleged sales of the polytechnic staff houses, carving out lands to individuals in Kaduna.
However, when contacted to comment on the issue, the Rector of the polytechnic, Suleiman Umar, told journalists that the management had successfully defended itself before the lawmakers on the matter.
He also assured that those staff who wrote the petition against the management will not be punished, saying, “The issue is still ongoing before the House.”
Speaking in an interview with journalists on Tuesday, the ASUP chapter Chairman, Abubakar Jibrin Abdullahi, who reacted to the face-off between the lecturers and management remarked that “ASUP is against the sales of Kaduna Polytechnic institutional properties be it within or outside the institution.”
Going through records, he said that at an emergency Congress meeting held on 6th December 2022, the Congress resolved that Kadpoly institutional properties should not be sold “now or in the future.”
According to him, “in 2011, some staff residents in the Quarters wanted a situation where they were given the houses as lease, but Former Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Amma Peppe, visited the institution when I was the General Secretary then and came up with a position in clear terms that Kaduna Polytechnic institutional properties within or outside the institution is not for sale now or in the future.
“And that it was meant for expansion and for future development for the generation yet unborn. The management then circulated in the Institution newsletter.”
However, Abdullahi lamented that “this time around, the management and some of the staff resident in the quarters wanted to defraud the institution from its asset under the pretest of Monetization policy of 2005 Lagos Nigeria.
He said, “The Union rose and rejected it, via a letter to the Honourable Minister of Education. The perm sec then replied via a letter dated 20th January 2023 that the properties are not for sale or lease.
“The same management circulated a letter Dated 26th January 2023 to all staff to comply. Unfortunately, both the management and those resident in the quarters did not respect the directives so the Union took the matter to the Federal high court in KADUNA against the management, Government Council, Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC), Attorney general of the federation, etc.”
He argued that the scenario now surrounding the sale of the polytechnic properties was a calculated attempt by both parties to defraud the institution from its assets.
“To the best of our knowledge, Only Mr President has the power to lease or sell FGN properties, unfortunately, the management could not provide a letter from then President Mohammed Buhari where he signed and gave the PIC under the office of the SGF to sell Kadpoly institutional properties.
“Both the Union and members of the residents took the matter to NASS for justice. Unfortunately, we are on flight mood and tension is mounting between some of our staff and outsiders on one hand, and also between those that were ejected in the quarters and denied from the buying. And also management of the institution,” the ASUP chairman stressed.
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