Abia State Government has identified the problem bedevilling the State Owned Polytechnic to include lack of management with a vow to sanitize the institution.
The development is coming on the heels of the recent withdrawal of Accreditation status of the Abia State Polytechnic Aba by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE).
Recall that the state government as part of measures to reposition the institution, Wednesday, announced the immediate dissolution and suspension of the council and management of the institution.
It equally approved the constitution of a taskforce to restore accreditation of the state polytechnic within 30 days.
Briefing Journalists on the outcome of the Executive Council meeting at Government House Umuahia, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr Eze Chikamnayo explained that the board and management of Abia Poly were expected to uphold best practices but noted that instead, there has been successive abuse of best practices in the institution.
Chikamnayo said that the Abia State Government has so far remiittted a total of 7.1 Billion naira to the Abia Polytechnic since the inception of the present administration in 2015.
He said: “The Ikpeazu led government has consistently remitted about 92 million naira monthly within the past 78 months of his administration but the problem of the institution is poor management and self-inflicted”.
The Information Boss while noting that the Abia Polytechnic is an autonomous body set up by the law, said the government does not interfer in the recruitment of staff neither does the institution pay into the coffers of government.
He assured that the state government is engaging with all critical stakeholders to ensure that accreditation is restored at the polytechnic within one month adding that a high powered committee has been set up in that regard.
Dr. Chikamnayo further disclosed that government is leaving no stone unturned to sanitize other parastatals and urged all managers of parastatals and other semi autonomous boards in the State to buckle up, warning that government would not hesitate to slam its hammer on any board whose activities bring embarrassment to the state government.
He advised the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) not to take up the job of trade unions as issues of welfare are within the purview of the union leaders.
