The leadership of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has issued an ultimatum to the federal government and management of Ekowe Polytechnic, Bayelsa State, demanding an end to the industrial impasse in the institution.
In a press statement, NAPS president, Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, declared that enough is enough, insisting that ethnic prejudice, reckless unionism, ego and selfish interests must not hold an entire institution hostage forever.
He said, “If this crisis persists beyond September 8, NAPS will mobilise a nationwide solidarity action, shaking the creeks and echoing through Abuja until our students return to class. Enough is enough. The future cannot wait. Education cannot be silenced.”
The polytechnic has been grounded following a dispute between the leadership of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the institution’s management, which resulted in violence. This prompted the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to withdraw its services pending security guarantees from the management and security agencies.
The development has grounded academic activities for more than three months, grossly affecting the students at the receiving end of the crisis. They have a truncated academic calendar, delays in NYSC mobilisation and other sundry issues.
The student body, which listed a plethora of issues facing the institution, including low-quality academic staff and endemic corruption in the recruitment process, asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene quickly and urged the host community to stop interfering with the institution’s management.
Oghayan said, “As a body representing the interest of over 2.8 million polytechnic students, we are presenting a unanimous position and calling for the end of the needless crisis in Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, for the sake of members whose fate has been hanging in the air.
“Whereas it is evident that the polytechnic management under Dr. Lukman Adegoke Agbabiaka has recorded visible achievements including the restoration of lapsed National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) accreditation till 2029, the lifting of a two-year NYSC and ITF ban, refurbishment of students hostels with solar power, revival of workshops and the establishment of ICT centres, the continued closure of the institution has not helped anybody.
“Despite these strides, ASUP, which is neither on strike nor in rebellion against management, but demands guaranteed security coverage to prevent further physical confrontations like those unleashed by thugs loyal to a union chairman and aided by his ally.
“Their personal and unjustifiable grievance should not hinder students’ progress and academic continuity. In fact, appropriate disciplinary measures should be meted out to them with immediate alacrity.
“Unmerited promotions based on ethnic affiliations should not be allowed to stand in an academic institution like Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, as the crisis caused by the same crop of persons under the previous administration and their impact is still fresh in the minds of the polytechnic community,” he noted.
“While we call on the union chairman to embrace dialogue, we’ll be constrained to act in concert with our sister unions and declare him persona non grata not only on campuses but anywhere two or more students gather in this country.
