The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has expressed strong opposition to the newly reconstituted governing councils of Nigerian government-owned polytechnics.
In a statement signed by ASUP President Shammah Kpanja, the union voiced its “dismay” at the selection of appointees, criticizing them as individuals lacking “knowledge” of the polytechnic system.
Kpanja explained that the union had thoroughly reviewed the new list of members and was “dissatisfied and disappointed” with the composition.
ASUP has consistently advocated for the appointment of individuals who possess a deep understanding of the sector, including former rectors and principal officers, former chief executives and staff of regulatory bodies, retired and serving chief lecturers, and other knowledgeable staff from the sector.
According to Kpanja, there is an ample supply of qualified candidates within these categories.
However, Kpanja noted that the new appointees do not meet these criteria, as none of the listed categories were represented in the appointments.
He described this omission as a significant disservice to polytechnics and contrasted it with practices in other areas of tertiary education, where former executive secretaries of regulatory bodies were appointed.
Further criticizing the appointments, Kpanja pointed out that while former principal officers and staff were appointed in other sub-sectors of tertiary education, no such appointments were made for polytechnics, despite the availability of experienced former rectors, chief lecturers, and other principal officers within the polytechnic system in Nigeria.
The union perceives this exclusion as part of a long-standing discrimination against polytechnics in the country, suggesting that it could lead to governance crises within the sector.
Kpanja argued that the current composition would not benefit polytechnics but instead turn them into “playgrounds for businessmen.”
ASUP has demanded a review of the list before the inauguration of the councils, insisting that it should include individuals with the necessary knowledge of polytechnics.
The union believes that this review is essential to prevent governance issues and potential crises in the sector.
The controversy follows the announcement of new governing council members for federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, nearly eleven months after President Bola Tinubu’s administration dissolved the previous councils.
The new list of appointees was signed by Didi Walson-Jack, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education.
