March 2, 2018

The Academic Staff Union Polytechnics (ASUP), Yaba College of Technology branch, has urged the Federal Government to appoint a substantive rector for the college without further delay.

Mr Nureni Yekini, the new Chairman of the union, gave the advice in the interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

Yekini said the absence of a substantive rector had stagnated progress of the college for about three months now.

He frowned at a situation where the three most senior positions in the college were all being occupied in the acting capacity.

“We have met with the acting management team and we let them know that it is not palatable that the three pillars holding this great school are in the acting capacity.

“The rector, bursar, registrar are all in the acting capacity.

“We believe there is no way the college can move forward because they may not have the power to do one or two things that are supposed to be done.

“The union is appealing to the federal government to do the needful by filling the positions with substantive officers.

“We want our institution to move forward.

“We appeal to the federal government, through the Ministry of Education, to do the needful so that the college can move forward,’’ the ASUP chairman told NAN.

He recalled that the governing council and management team had conducted the interview for interested candidates in 2017 to fill the vacant positions.

According to him, the council has done what it is supposed to do.

“This is unlike in the university where the Senate conduct election for vice chancellor; everything starts from the school and ends there.

“Here in polytechnic, it is the presidency that appoints a substantive rector.

“After the interview and screening, names of three successful candidates were shortlisted and sent to the Federal Ministry of Education.

“So, they too can forward it to the Presidency for final selection.

“After the interview in August last year, three people were shortlisted and they were all from the college.’’

Yekini said the condition of the college was deteriorating as there was no electricity supply.

He said the new leadership of the union had many good ideas for the would-be rector, so the college could retain its pride of place among polytechnics.