The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, has urged the Federal Government to immediately sack seven university professors appointed as rectors of Federal Polytechnics, describing their appointment as illegal.
It also warned university professors to stop applying for the position of polytechnic rector, saying the practice was against the provisions of the Polytechnics Amendment Act 2019.
The union also said covetousness and greed were the main factors driving the university lecturers to come to a system they had not worked for.
The National President of ASUP, Dr Anderson Ezeibe, in a chat with Vanguard, said the union would not relent in ensuring total compliance with the provisions of the said law
According to the law, anybody who has not served as a chief lecturer in a polytechnic for at least five years cannot be appointed rector of a polytechnic.
Speaking on the matter, Ezeibe noted: “President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Act into law in 2019. Though it is applicable to federal polytechnics, we are happy that some states, such as Nasarawa and Jigawa are already domesticating the law.
”University professors struggling to be appointed rectors of polytechnics do not mean well for the system.
“They are only after making money from the polytechnics they want to lead. How many of them, after being appointed rectors, stay after their tenure to serve as chief lecturers in the polytechnics?
”Somebody who cannot make career progression in their universities would come to the polytechnic to block the career paths of other people. Our advice is that government should consult and get competent contributions from those who know.”
