From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Abia State has said it received with deep grief the de-accreditation of the Abia State Polytechnic Aba by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
This is even as the State Government has warned against politicizing the unfortunate incident.
A statement by chairman of APGA in the state, Augustine Ehiemere regretted that the sad development was coming on the heels of the withdrawal of the accreditation of the Medical College of the Abia State University Uturu.
“It is necessary to recall that these institutions which preceded the advent of the PDP misrule in Abia State have been hitherto run effectively and efficiently by preceding governments.
“At the last count the Abia State Polytechnic staffs are being owed up to 29 months which is more than two years in salaries and allowances. This is in exception of a total teaching and learning infrastructure collapse in these two institutions that the PDP administration met as centers of excellence”
Ehiemere said the developments became more intriguing to human understanding when weighed against the fact that even PDP governments in other states of the federation that took office at that same time or even later than the PDP government in Abia have initiated and completed gigantic multi billion naira state institutions in their various states.
“Our neighboring Ebonyi State has initiated and completed one of the best medical schools in Nigeria while Akwa Ibom State has built and partnered with multinational business conglomerates to float major industries including a car assembly plant to cater for the needs of their people and reward their trust”.
APGA said the essence of government is to guarantee the good of the people by the provision of the basic necessities of life, including security, education, good roads, housing, electricity and portable water.
“APGA finds it hard to understand why a polytechnic and university which are being run successfully and seamlessly by Abia sons like Prof. Gregory Ibe, who do not command the vast resources available to the state, continues to collapse in the hands of a government that pledged to deliver on the trust and expectation of the Abia people.
“Abia people have taken enough punishment from the PDP government of Abia State. The failure of these two schools is the last straw that has broken the camel’s back”.
He called on the people of Abia state to remain calm and steadfast, hoping for a new Dawn.
Meanwhile, Abia State Government has warned against politicizing the re-accreditation of Abia poly.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Eze Chikamnanyo said the recent action of NBTE against Abia Poly Aba, was not occasioned by Government ‘s inability to fulfil it’s financial obligations to the institution, but by the “dysfunctionality and ineptitude of successive Boards and Managements that have bedeviled Abia Poly”.
The statement disclosed that specifically, between 2015 and now, the state government has given the institution over N7b as subvention
“Therefore, if the Board and Management of Abia State Polytechnic is owing it’s Staff, it is a self inflicted regrettable malaise for which those directly involved must be made to face the unsavoury consequences”, the statement warned.