The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has urged the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to as a matter urgency commence open and transparent investigation with a view to prosecuting crude oil theft and other mineral resources in Nigeria.
ASUP in a communique issued after her National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, asked government to find a lasting solution to the floods ravaging about 33 states in the country.
The communique, signed by ASUP National Publicity Secretary Comrade Abdullahi Yelwa, also decried the lack of transparency, as well as stakeholders exclusion in the processes leading to the release and allocation of the approved 15billion Naira revitalization fund for public polytechnics in the country.
The communique reads: “NEC decried the sustained poor funding of member institutions which has derailed the actualization of the mandates of these institutions.
“NEC decried the inadequacies in the operation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), introduced by the Federal Government and some state governments as such has been shown to be opaque and a poor fit for tertiary institutions.
“NEC equally condemned the poor funding profiles of several state owned institutions in the country. NEC noted that the poor funding outlook of these institutions has denied the institutions access to enough funds for the purposes accreditation and re-accreditation of programs, infrastructural development, mounting of new courses, sourcing and engagement of competent personnel, and the day to day running of the institutions.
“NEC frowned at the wastages of scarce resources by Government and the tacit endorsement of impunity in the sector as evidenced by the non-implementation of the reports of the Visitation Panels set up for the Federal Polytechnics in 2012; and the non release of the white paper for 2021 visitation.
“NEC noted with discomfort the harassment of its members at the Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti by the EFCC Zonal office in Ilorin under the guise of investigating allegations of fraud in the institution.
“While recognizing the statutory duties of the anti graft agency, we are convinced that such duties should be discharged in accordance with the rule of law without undermining the dignity and self worth of our members, and indeed other citizens.
“NEC observed with dismay, the current suspension of the activities of the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic, Oko by the Federal Ministry of Education.
“The union notes that such is in dissonance with the provisions of the Federal Polytechnic’s Act and as such has created an avoidable vacuum in the governance of the institution.
“This is currently having adverse consequences on staff welfare issues and general wellbeing of the institution.
“The Union also condemned the non representation of the Union members at Federal Colleges of Agriculture in the process of amending the Scheme and Condition of Service of the Institutions by Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) was also discussed and condemned.”
