Ukana lecturers, rector at loggerheads

 The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Chapter, Ukana in Akwa Ibom State has asked the Governing Council to take disciplinary action against two offiials, including the Rector, Professor Balama Obomanu, of the institution. In a petition signed by ASUP Protem Chairman, Inyangetoh Jude and Protem Secretary, Ariye Anthony, and made available to […]

 The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Chapter, Ukana in Akwa Ibom State has asked the Governing Council to take disciplinary action against two offiials, including the Rector, Professor Balama Obomanu, of the institution.

In a petition signed by ASUP Protem Chairman, Inyangetoh Jude and Protem Secretary, Ariye Anthony, and made available to journalists, the union accused the officials of making illegal deductions from staff salaries, abuse of procurement processes in executing capital projects and failure to provide electricity on campus daily.

The union also alleged that the rector appointed an unqualified person as director, introduced phony workers among contract staff and failed to secure the accreditation of courses in three years.

 Reacting, Obomanu denied the allegations against him, saying that he did not have the power to execute projects in the institution without approval from different stakeholders of the polytechnic.

 “All those things are not true; the school cannot be run like a private property, because I do not initiate or finalise things. There are processes that are involved that had been established by the Federal Government on how schools are run,” he said.