….as FG stops sales of institution’s qarters
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
As the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education directed a stop to the sales of the official quarters of the Kaduna Polytechnic under the 2005 Monetization Policy of the Federal Government, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), has demanded an immediate audit of the institution’s landed property with a promise to provide a blueprint that will guide such action.
According to a letter from the Federal Ministry of Education with reference No. DHE/POLY/C.10/VOL1/T/153 dated 20th January, 2023 and signed by the Psermanent Secretary to the Polytechnic management in response to the management letter, it stated that, “please be informed that under the Federal Government Monetization Policy that took effect from 2005, institutional Houses/Residents belonging to the Federal Government are exempted from outright sales to public servants occupying such official quarters”.
Also, in compliance to the letter, the Acting Registrar of the Polytechnic, Alhaji Hassan Muhammad Abubakar in a circular dated 26th January, 2023 to all polytechnic staff Drew the attention of the occupiers of the Polytechnic quarters that such quarters will not be available for sale now or in the future considering the developmental and Infrastructural expansion of the Polytechnic.
“Therefore, any sitting occupants/public servants who must have made deposits in anticipation of buying the official quarters should be entitled to be refunded the money/ deposits paid or made accordingly” he stressed.
However, addressing a press conference on the subject matter on Wednesday, ASUP Kaduna Polytechnic chapter which has hitherto kicked against sales of the institutions’ staff quarters said, the decision to stop the purported sales by the Federal Government was a welcomed development.
According to the ASUP Chapter Chairman, Abubakar Jibrin Abdullahi, said, “as a union we are under obligation to protect members of the public who may have taken to the error of judgement and have been under the illusion that the staff housing units of the institution were for sale, now we are clear they are not and they shall never be, so that they do not run the risk of failed investment
“Any buyer already caught in this intricacy may quickly demand a refund or their money and retun our institutional property, it has always been our position that selling the houses does not provide the opportunity of ownership to existing occupiers who may only be reduced to middlemen and conduits to stray merchants, neither does it avail non occupiers any acknowledgement of a sense of belonging to our Commonwealth.
“Going forward and in line with this vision, we demand an immediate audit of all landed property of the institution in totality. The union is already conceiving a blueprint to guide management and all stakeholders on how best to utilize the available mass of land for.the interest of the institution and our members. It is a commitment we we have taken in good faith as we secure our place in prosperity,” he stressed.