… Union warns Ag Rector
All is not well at the Federal Polytechnic Ukana as the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics,(SSANIP) has taken a swipe at the Acting Rector,Dr. Maurice Udom for mismanagement and unprofessional conduct.
This is contained in a letter titled “List of Issues and Demands to be addressed by Management”,addressed to the Acting Rector and signed by Comrade Tamunosiki A.Daka- Chairman SSANIP and Comrade Chidi A.Anyanwu.
The letter which states in part,” the Union unequivocally states that it has observed with dismay the issues and anomalies unfolding in the system and frowned at Management’s grave silence towards addressing them. In view of the above, we as the stakeholders of the institution advice Management, particularly, the Acting Rector to desist from making decisions that are capable of throwing the institution into chaos,as such decision will portray an act of unprofessionalism on the part of the Management”.
Some of the issues the union raised against the Acting Rector include ill treatment of staff, poor working environment, refusal to pay all outstanding imprest, usurpation of non teaching staff functions, outright refusal of staff to hand over official documents and other office items to the newly redeployed staff,use of non registered contractors to execute projects among other issues.
A member of the SSANIP Exco who spoke on grounds of anonymity said staff of the Polytechnic were were disenchanted with the current management of the institution which he described as inexperienced and selfish. He said under the Maurice Udom led Management,the institution was detrogressing rather than progressing because they lack the experience and interest of the Polytechnic. In his words,” Maurice Udom is here to cash out and not for the interest of the school. Every aspect of the Polytechnic is affected,poor academic environment,low student enrollment,low morale by staff on account of ill treatment. In fact,we see him as an undertaker who was drafted into the institution from Akwa Poly by the powers that be to bury Federal Polytechnic, Ukana. If not checked,he will accomplish his mission” he lamented.
He said the Acting Rector has proven to be selfish by refusing to pay outstanding imprest for second quarter of 2024 simply because he was not going to personally benefit from it since he had not resumed by then. He also pointed out that Dr. Udom deliberately brings in unregistered contractors who are his fronts to execute projects an act that is strange to the institution. The Union,he said,was poised to tackle the management if it refuses to retract it’s steps.
It could be recalled that Dr. Maurice Udom was appointed by the Governing Council of the Polytechnic in November,2024 as acting Rector pending the appointment of a substantive Rector by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Polytechnic had since then been embroiled in one crises or the other which has impeded its growth.
