The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, has urged the Federal Government to immediately sack seven university professors appointed as rectors of Federal Polytechnics, describing their appointment as illegal.
It also warned university professors to stop applying for the position of polytechnic rector, saying the practice was against the provisions of the Polytechnics Amendment Act 2019.
The union also said covetousness and greed were the main factors driving the university lecturers to come to a system they had not worked for.
The National President of ASUP, Dr Anderson Ezeibe, in a chat with Vanguard, said the union would not relent in ensuring total compliance with the provisions of the said law.
According to the law, anybody who has not served as a chief lecturer in a polytechnic for at least five years cannot be appointed rector of a polytechnic.
Speaking on the matter, Ezeibe noted: "President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Act into law in 2019. Though it is applicable to federal polytechnics, we are happy that some states, such as Nasarawa and Jigawa are already domesticating the law.
"University professors struggling to be appointed rectors of polytechnics do not mean well for the system.
"They are only after making money from the polytechnics they want to lead. How many of them, after being appointed rectors, stay after their tenure to serve as chief lecturers in the polytechnics?
"Somebody who cannot make career progression in their universities would come to the polytechnic to block the career paths of other people. Our advice is that government should consult and get competent contributions from those who know."
Ezeibe said it was important for state governments to also domesticate the law to ensure standard in the manner polytechnics were run in the country.
Last month, ASUP wrote the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to intimate him of the decision of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, Abuja, relating to the judgment it gave on the appointment of professors as rectors of some federal polytechnics by the federal government.
The judge, Justice Obaseki Osaghae, held that the appointment of Dr Terlumun Utser of the Federal Polytechnic, Wannune; Prof Edwin Onyeneje of the Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo; Prof Edward Okey of the Federal Polytechnic, Ugep; Dr Zakari Ya'u of the Federal Polytechnic, Shendam; and Prof Garba Ngala of the Federal Polytechnic, Mungonu was not made in accordance with the law.
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On the matter, Ezeibe said: "Judgment has been delivered in the suit in agreement with our union's contention that the persons so appointed do not have the requisite qualification captured in the law to be so appointed among other declarations of the court.
"This judgment is viewed by our union as one with immense benefits for the Nigerian polytechnic system.
"In view of the foregoing, and in respect of an earlier consent judgment delivered in another suit NICN/ABJ/12/2020 (Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics vs Attorney General of the Federation and 6 Ors) where the Federal Ministry of Education undertook to ensure compliance to the provisions of the Federal Polytechnics Act by operators in the sector."
Ezeibe added that apart from the five persons, two other federal polytechnics in Kano and Delta states had rectors appointed for them, contrary to the provisions of the Federal Polytechnics Act (2019 Amendment).
He advised the government to comply with the judgement and the provisions of the law and start the process of appointing new persons as rectors of the schools.
"The government cannot be the one to break the laws that it initiated or laws duly passed by the legislature.
"If that is the case, then there is no reason for the lawmakers to be passing any law. It is just like the country wasting money on them," he said.
