Ikpeazu approves N450m as salary support for Abia Polytechnic workers

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has approved the release of N450 million as salary support to the State Polytechnic for immediate payment of four months salary arrears.

Weeks after Abia State Polytechnic’s accreditation was revoked over salaries issue, the state governor has approved N450m for the school.

The state governor however argued that the school managment was supposed to handle their salaries and wondered why they couldn’t.

The Governors Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka, revealed this in Aba.

“What the State Government owes the institution is a monthly subvention of N90million and this administration has so far paid N7.1 Billion to the Polytechnic since I assumed office in 2015. This translates to N92million  every month for the 78 months I have been in office as governor.

“With this N450million additional support, the polytechnic has received over N7.5billion from this administration,” he said.

Ikpezie also challenged the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE’s authority to revoke the institution’s licence over salaries controversy, adding that it’s the function of the National Industrial Court.

He also queried why NBTE hasn’t withdrawn the licence of schools who have been shut down over insecurities.

He said the government and Abia State University management will meet on Friday, to resolve labour issues at the University, assuring of government’s commitment to all state-owned higher institutions.

He expressed happiness that the student leaders have risen to the occasion by refusing to be used as agents of destabilization on account of the challenge at Abia Poly.

The students whose names were not given were made up of members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Association of Abia State Students (NAAS).(NAN).

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CREDIT: ALLSCHOOL, Vanguard