The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, branch has condemned the deliberate denial of salaries to some staff since the inception of the university’s Special Intervention Team (SIT).

A joint statement issued by Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. Williams Odion ASUU Chairman and Assistant Secretary respectively, after a congress held Monday, 5th June, 2023, the Union blamed SIT for the deliberate denial of their legitimate salaries since January 2022, under the guise of re-positioning the school.

Lamenting that some of the university members of staff are being owned 17 months salary arrears, ASUU described the selective payment of salaries by the authorities, which it insisted was without just cause, as “heartless, callous and inconceivable cruelty against humanity.”

The academic union accused the SIT, which was set up by Governor Godwin Obaseki last year to manage the affairs of the school following the dissolution of the Governing Council, of gloating over the suffering, victimisation, repression and oppression of the affected staff.

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ASUU lamented that there was never disciplinary process against the staff being denied salaries, adding that no explanation had been offered ever since for the stoppage of their salaries from January 2022 till date.

ASUU pleaded: “Congress implored the Visitor to the University/Governor of Edo State to urgently prevail on the university authorities to resolve the salary crisis in the university without further delay.”

ASUU, AAU reaffirmed it criticism of the interim report presented by the SIT to the state government in May, stressing that it was designed by SIT to blackmail academic staff over some of the problems bedeviling the university in order to give government and the general public the impression that the SIT was doing well in ‘repositioning’ the Institution.

Efforts to reach SIT management proved abortive.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has approved N130m for each polytechnic as zonal intervention in its 2023 intervention line.

The Director of Infrastructure of the Fund, Buhari Mika’Ilu, who confirmed the development at the TETFund/NBTE sensitisation workshop on the 2023 Zonal Intervention on Skills for Rectors and Directors of Skills in Beneficiary Polytechnics in Abuja on Tuesday, said the fund would be geared towards reinvigorating skills acquisition in polytechnics across the country.

Mika’Ilu said the intervention was to consolidate the efforts of the National Board for Technical Education in increasing the capacities of polytechnics to deliver on their mandate.

He said the intervention was mostly used to support institutions to meet basic requirements for accreditation, adding that the intervention focused purely on projects with academic relevance, thereby addressing deficiencies in core areas of acquisition of essential instructional materials and equipment for teaching and learning and building capacities for the use of the equipment procured.

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Mika’Ilu said, ”Funds are allocated in line with the provision of the Establishment Act and guided towards addressing critical and essential needs of the beneficiary institutions for the improvement of quality and maintenance of standards in the tertiary educational institutions.

”NBTE has been at the forefront in championing the need to have skills in the educational system in Nigeria. It is in response to this that the fund has prioritised the 2023 zonal allocation to polytechnics to be geared towards reinvigorating skills acquisition in the polytechnics across the country.

”This is to further consolidate the efforts of NBTE in increasing the capacities of polytechnics to deliver on their mandate. Therefore, the sum of N130,000,000 only allocated to each polytechnic has the main focus of procurement, installation, testing, training and commissioning of relevant training materials.”

The director also revealed that since the inception of the zonal intervention in 2016, the fund had allocated a total sum of N52,046,079,584.7 as zonal intervention to enlisted polytechnics.

He said, ”In the year 2017, the Fund focused the zonal intervention on the “Student Dignity Project”. Hence, the intervention was used to upgrade and standardise all lavatory facilities or provision of new ones where necessary in academic areas of institutions, also shuttle buses (coaches) were also procured for students use among other projects.

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”Most recently, the 2022 intervention was used for the deployment of ICT facilities within the institutions in line with the guidelines developed by the Fund. This is essential to increase the capacities of institutions to function effectively and deliver their programmes online.

”The Fund has allocated a total of N60,290,000,000.00 for zonal intervention for the year 2023 to all the two hundred and nineteen beneficiary institutions of which, the sum of N9,230,000,000.00 is allocated to polytechnics.”

He said the intervention, a post-research activity, had created an opportunity for academic staff in Science and Technology Programmes to fabricate equipment, thus promoting skills development in the Polytechnics.

Mika’Ilu expressed optimism that the intervention would, in the long run, support the institution to resuscitate skills and improve graduate employability.

Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, charged rectors of polytechnics to explore innovative approaches to skills development and as well devise effective solutions that would enhance the quality and relevance of technical education in the institutions.

Echono said skills development and entrepreneurship represented a holistic process in which individuals in society pursue opportunities and address needs through innovation.

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He, however, said acquiring skills prepares individuals for employment across all sectors of the economy and helps overcome numerous challenges as well fostering a brighter future for both the nation and individuals for global competition.

”Today, we recognise the significant strides made by TETFund and NBTE in promoting skills development in our beneficiary polytechnics. Our unwavering commitment to advancing technical and vocational education has paved the way for countless success stories, empowering individuals and transforming communities across our great nation.

”The purpose of this sensitisation workshop is to discuss and enlighten participants on two key areas: One is the skills agenda and occupational areas as a panacea for gainful employment of graduates and the second is the formalisation of the informal skills sector. By focusing on these aspects, we aim to address the critical needs for aligning our educational system with the demands of the labour market,” Echono said.

The authorities of Kwara state Polytechnic Ilorin, Tuesday withdrawn the certificate of an HND student, AbdulRasheed Zubair Olatunji over his involvement in cultism.

The management in a statement issued by the Deputy Registrar, Mr. Olayemi Olatomi made available to journalists stated that the withdrawal of the certificate became necessary because of his involvement in cultism which is contrary to the matriculation oath he sworn to.

The statement added that mobilisation of AbdulRasheed to the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has also been put on hold.

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It reads,”The Authority of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, has approved the immediate withdrawal of Higher National Diploma Certificate of AbdulRasheed Zubair Olatunji of Public Administration Department of the institution for his involvement in cultism contrary to the matriculation oath he sworn to.

“This decision was based on the report of the Polytechnic’s Students’ Disciplinary Committee.

“AbdulRasheed’s involvement in cultism is a pointer to the fact that he is not worthy in character and learning to earn the certificate of the institution.

“In view of this, mobilisation of AbdulRasheed to the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has been put on hold”, the statement concluded.