From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Protest from members of the Auchi Polytechnic chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), weekend forced chirman of the Union, Mr. Lawani Jimoh, to tender apology for not consulting members of the union before endorsing a candidate for the vacant position of rector of the Polytechnic.
At a highly tense congress which held at the Polytechnic New Auditorium, Campus 1, members of the union had questioned the motive of the ASUP chairman for the endorsement without congress approval and demanded for a retraction of the purported endorsement.
The members also demanded for an outright apology from the chairman on the matter and cautioned him against such action in the future.
Consequently, Jimoh who regretted his action during the Congress, tendered unreserved apology.
Recall that the position of the polytechnic rector had been vacant following the demise of the former rector, Dr. Sunny Jimah, in November 2020.
Six persons were said to have been shortlisted (four internal and two external) following advertisement for the vacant position, for interview that has since been conducted.
It was alleged that the chairman of the union took side with one of the internal candidates and wrote a letter of endorsement in favour of the particular candidate to President Muhammadu Buhari.
This reportedly triggered protest from other candidates, who are also members of the institution’s chapter of the ASUP.
Earlier, a group, Alliance for the Advancement of Auchi Polytechnic, had harped on the need for due process to be followed in the appointment of a substantive rector for the polytechnic.
The convener of the group, Alhaji Oshiobugie Danjuma, had stated that this would help to avoid taking the polytechnic back to the “dark days”, explaining that the appointment of a rector with the right requisite would place the first generation polytechnic in a pole position for its planned upgrade to a University.