Gabriel Dike
The Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has sacked the Rector of Abia State Polytechnic (ABIAPOLY), Aba, Prof Ezionye Eboh.
Prof Eboh’s sack was announced on Tuesday night by the Secretary to the State Government. No reason was given for his removal.
The sacked rector was appointed acting rector in February 2017 and the governor confirmed his appointment early this year.
The statement by the secretary to the state government also announced Prof O. Kalu, from University of Calabar as the new helmsman of ABIAPOLY.
The sack of Prof Eboh was the subject of discussion among few staff who arrived the institution early morning on Wednesday.
One of the union leaders told Daily Sun that sacking Prof Eboh as the rector will not solve the myriad of problems facing the polytechnic in the last few years.
He said within the last five years (2015-2020), the governor has sacked and appointed five rectors and three registrars, adding in 2017, Governor Ikpeazu sacked the rector, registrar and also dissolved the governing council.
Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) of ABIAPOLY chapter, Mr. Eke Kalu said he heard the announcement of the sack of Eboh on one of local media which was attributed to the Secretary to the State Government.
He decried the manner in which the state government remove and appoint rectors for ABIAPOLY.
One of the media aide to Governor Ikpeazu confirmed the new appointment at ABIAPOLY and noted that it is with immediate effect.
Workers of Abia State Polytechnic are currently being owed over 20 months salaries, outstanding allowances and promotion arrears.
In September 2019, the institution sacked 258 academic and non teaching staff based on the recommendations of a committee. But the staff unions rejected the action.