From John Adams, Minna
The management of Federal Polytechnic Bida has said that there is no plan to appoint a new Rector for the institution, saying that the position of Rector in the institution has not been declared vacant.
The management said contrary to media reports that the tenure of the incumbent Rector, Dr. Abubakar Dzukogi expires on February 15, 2021 and therefore a new Rector must be appointed before that date, it stand by the resolution number (6) of the peace meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, the Management of the institution and the Academic Staa Union of Polytechnic, Bida Chapter on Wednesday 21st October, 2020, presided over by the permanent secretary ministry of education.
The Polytechnic management in a statement signed by the Public Relation Officer, Mallam Hussaini Mohammad Enagi, a copy which was made available to Sun in Minna, said the reappointment of the Rector as the Sole Administrator of the institution for the next two years has the blessing of the Federal ministry of education.
The management pointed out that those agitating for the appointment of a new Rector are doing it out of mischief, stressing that the tenure of Dzukogi as the Sole Administrator will elapse in 2022 after which a new Rector can be appointed for the Institution.
The management acknowledged that though the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Bida chapter has been having a running battle with the institution over the tenure of the incumbent Rector, including instituting several court cases challenging his reappointment, “one would have thought that the Union will be sensible enough to wait for the outcome of such court cases”.
According to the statement, after the peace meeting with all the parties involved in the current leadership dispute rocking the institution in the instance of the ministry of education, it was agreed in the resolution that “the reappointment of the Rector is right and proper.
Clarification has been obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation”.
The management therefore appealed for calm over the leadership tussle in the institution and adhere strictly to the resolution entered into by all the parties involved.
It could be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), in a widely publicized statement, appealed to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to appoint an acting rector for the Federal Polytechnic Bida before February 15, 2021.
ASUP said the reminder became necessary because according to it, the tenure of the incumbent rector of Bida Poly, Dr. Abubakar Dzukogi will end February 15 as contained in a letter of his reappointment signed by the minister.
The union also reminded government that Bida Poly like other Federal Polytechnics nationwide does not have Governing Council, thus the need to appoint an acting rector.
ASUP in the statement, also recalled that Dr. Dzukogi had earlier retired from the services of Bida Poly in 2020 in order to serve as a Sole Administrator for two years which is against the Polytechnic Act that was signed into law in 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to ASUP, it is a public knowledge that Bida Poly rector, Dr. Dzukogi will clock 65 years on February 15, 2021 and based on the new Polytechnic Act, he cannot continue in office after clocking the mandatory retirement age.
“We expect the Federal Government through the minister of education to start the process of appointing an acting rector for Bida Poly. It is a common knowledge that Federal Polytechnics don’t have governing council, so the minister must act according to the law and appoint an acting rector on or before February 15″, the statement further added.