By; ARCHIBONG ESUENE, Makurdi
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Benue State Polytechnic Ugbokolo Chapter and the Concerned Idoma Senior Staff Association of the institution have appealed to Governor Hyacinth Alia to reverse the recent removal of Dr. Nathaniel Oche as the Rector of the polytechnic.
Dr. Oche who was appointed Rector of the institution in May 25, 2023 for a five-year tenure, was recently removed from office by the present administration.
Addressing newsmen in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, the Chairman of ASUP Benue Polytechnic Chapter, Comrade David Owuna recalled how the institution was run in acting capacity for 18 months contrary to the provisions of the law, before the appointment of Dr. Oche, the first indigenous Rector of the institution last May.
The union maintained that Dr. Oche has done exceptionally well within the short period he ran the institution and has taken right decisions and made appropriate appointments that created industrial harmony in the institution, hence the resolve of the union to call for the reversal of his sack.
The union noted that, “in his brief stay in office so far as the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Oche has succeeded in bringing about relative peace both within and outside the campus.
“He has also been very liberal in the appointments of staff, a situation that had eluded the polytechnic for about two decades.
“His coming as Rector has greatly unified staff of the school with respect to harmonious working relationship; and with these, a new phase of relative developments is gradually being entrenched in the polytechnic, only now to hear of his removal from office tied to the report of a visitation panel believed to be false.”
The union also expressed surprise that the appointments of deputy rectors, administration and academics and other appointments made by the rector that were denied the polytechnic in the past were also reversed by the Commissioner of Education for unexplained reasons.
“This therefore, is the crux of the matter, and it is totally unacceptable to members. In view of the above, and given that if there was any misdeeds by the Rector he has not been given any fair hearing; the union hereby appeal to the governor and the visitor to the polytechnic to kindly re-consider his decision concerning the removal of Dr. Nathaniel Oche as the Rector of Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo for industrial harmony and peaceful coexistence.”
Also, the Concerned Idoma Senior Staff Association of the institution at the briefing through its Chairman, Jude Eza noted that the Rector was appointed legally but “the termination of his appointment did not follow due process since he was not given fair hearing in line with part X I, section 45 of the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo Law Cap 160 of Benue State, 2004.
“The visitation panel was set up by the state government to look at affairs of the Polytechnic from the year 2016-2023, the period within which the Rector was barely three months in office. And so when was the Panel report submitted and white paper released to warrant the recommendation to terminate the Rector’s appointment.”
The association appealed to the Governor and Visitor of the Polytechnic to “kindly reverse the termination of the appointment of the Rector for the continuous smooth running of the Polytechnic.”
