By On Thursday, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) requested that the federal government follow a National Industrial Court judgment requiring him to remove the rectors of five polytechnics from their positions.
The union also demanded that state governments refund any unpaid payments to lecturers by May 29.
The calls were made by ASUP President Anderson Ezeibe Wednesday in Abuja after the union’s 106th National Executive Council meeting.
They were Professor Edward Okey, Dr. Zakari Yau, Professor Garba Ngala, Professor Edwin Onyeneje, and Dr. Terlumun Utser, all of the Federal Polytechnics in Ugep, Shendam, Mungonu, Ohodo, and Wannune, respectively.
The Industrial Court had last month declared the rectors’ appointments invalid for lacking the necessary credentials.
According to Ezeibe, this threatens the dominance of the law in the Nigerian polytechnic system and heralds the establishment of a new era of lawlessness.
“We have also called the Federal Ministry of Education’s attention to the necessity of upholding the court’s ruling and extending it to the rumored nominations of Prof. Mohammed Magaji and Dr. Duke Okoro as rector of the new Federal Polytechnics in the states of Kano and Delta.
It is regrettable that this industry already operates with blatant impunity and disregard for the law.
The union leader expressed sadness that, given the state of the economy, academics were still owed pay.
