FG Sacks Kadpoly Council, Dismisses Rector

[TGD]

 Redeploys Registrar, Bursar

THE industrial crisis in Kaduna Polytechnic came to a climax at the weekend when the Federal Government wielded the big stick by sacking the Governing Council of the institution, dismissed the Rector, Dr. Danjuma Isa, and redeployed the Registrar and Bursar for their alleged negligence that festered the crisis for almost one year.

Announcing the government's decision in an emergency press conference Friday night, Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, also announced immediate constitution of an audit committee to look into the accounts of the institution for the period covering 2004 to 2010, and identify the role (s) played by each of the erstwhile principal officers with a view to recommending appropriate sanctions to be meted out to them.

Rufai said that due to government's concern over the continued closure of the polytechnic, President Goodluck Jonathan constituted a special visitation panel to look at the institution between 2004 and 2010. The panel had submitted its reports for which a White Paper was prepared for government's consideration early this year.

Part of the recommendations as approved by government were disclosed thus:

•  Immediate dissolution of the current Governing Council of the Polytechnic for failure to discharge its basic responsibilities;

• The Rector of the Polytechnic is relieved of his appointment for mismanagement of funds and for losing grips of the affairs of the institution, which culminated in the total breakdown of law and order;

• In order to prevent an interregnum, Engr. Aminu Aliyu, has been appointed the Interim Rector of the institution for a period of six months, within which a substantive Rector will be appointed for the polytechnic;

•The two Deputy Rectors are, therefore, relieved of their appointments and will be redeployed to their academic departments due to their complacency in the crises;

• The Registrar of the Polytechnic has been relieved of his appointment and will be redeployed outside the Registry for not advising the management appropriately on policy issues;

• The Bursar has been relieved of his appointment and will be redeployed to other duties in the institution for failure to render adequate professional advice to the management, thus leading to monumental bank loans through unrestricted pilferage; the Polytechnic Librarian, who had no allegations against, however, has been cleared and will remain in office.

"Consequently, the most senior officers of the affected departments would oversee the Registry and Bursary Departments, pending the appointment of substantive officers.  Financial audit committee would be constituted immediately to investigate alleged financial irregularities inn the accounting procedures of the Polytechnic from 2004 to 2010 and will propose sanctions on other erring officers.

"By the action, the government is sending a clear signal to public office holders in the education sector that they will be held accountable for the use of public funds and the stability of various sectors."



The Guardian