ASUP Rejects Tinubu’s New Governing Councils for Polytechnics

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has firmly rejected the newly appointed governing councils for Nigeria’s government-owned polytechnics, as announced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The union’s President, Shammah Kpanja, articulated their objections in a strongly worded statement, expressing “dismay” at the selection of appointees. Kpanja criticized the list for including individuals with “no knowledge” of the polytechnic system, highlighting that the appointees lack the requisite experience to effectively govern the institutions.

Kpanja stated, “Having carefully studied the released list of new members, we want to express our dissatisfaction and disappointment with the composition for the Polytechnics.” He emphasized that ASUP has consistently advocated for the appointment of individuals well-versed in the polytechnic sector, including former Rectors, Principal Officers, and experienced staff from regulatory bodies.

“The current composition falls significantly short of the above as no such person(s) in the categories listed was appointed. This is a great disservice to the Polytechnics and is also different from the experience in the two other sub-sectors that make up the tertiary education sector,” Kpanja added.

ASUP pointed out that while former Executive Secretaries of regulatory bodies were appointed to other educational sub-sectors, none were considered for the polytechnics. Similarly, former Principal Officers and experienced staff were appointed in other areas, yet polytechnics were overlooked despite having numerous qualified candidates.

The union sees this as a continuation of the “age-long discrimination” against polytechnics and a potential trigger for future crises. Kpanja warned that the current list could reduce polytechnics to “playgrounds for businessmen,” failing to enhance their status or quality.

ASUP has called for an urgent review of the list before the councils are inaugurated. The union insists that incorporating individuals with deep knowledge of the polytechnic system is crucial to preventing governance issues and potential crises.

The new governing councils were announced nearly eleven months after President Tinubu’s administration dissolved the previous councils of federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. The list of new appointees was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Didi Walson-Jack.