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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The leadership of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma, chapter has cried out over alleged abandonment of its workers who retired many years without benefit, and seeks the urgent intervention of Governor Hope Uzodimma in order to forestall the looming protest.
Governor Uzodimma, in 2025, changed the name of the Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma, to Dr. B.U. Nzeribe State Polytechnic, Awo-omamma, as part of the government’s efforts to recognise late Dr. B.U. Nzeribe’s achievements in the educational sector.
Chairman of the Union, Ifeanyi Opara, who raised the alarm, yesterday, called on Gov Uzodimma to save the retirees from untimely death.
This is even as the chairman of the staff union has lamented the non-payment of financial benefits, non-payment of pension and gratuity of retirees and poor administrative management of the institution as major setbacks in their welfare.
He said: “For over a decade, the staff of the polytechnic have promotionally advanced to higher ranks, some have even gotten to their peak but have remained financially stagnant due to non- financial consequential implementation of promotions.”
Continuing, he said: “In 2026, the Imo State Government made an upgrade review of minimum wage to N104,000 without financial implementation of promotions that have lingered for over a decade. Consequently, in Imo State polytechnic today, the minimum wage of N104,000 has made junior staff with 0’level to be on the same financial salary grade level with staff who have higher qualifications as a result of non-financial benefits of promotions for many years in the polytechnic.”
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Opara regretted that the ugly trend of non-payment of financial promotion benefits has caused more harm than good to the polytechnic staff, considering the current economic hardship, adding that as a result of the denial, staff are presently dying due to government’s negligence.
“Retirees of the polytechnic have not been receiving pension and gratuity for years as a result of their non-inclusion in the Imo State pension scheme.This has brought perpetual suffering and regular death of the polytechnic retirees as a result of lack of care from the state government. All efforts made to draw the attention of the governor towards this neglect of the retirees have proved abortive.”
The union also described the current administrative setup of the institution under Prof. Chukwuka Kananyo Stephen who recently clocked 70 years on March 26, and consequently retired from the university of Ibadan, as the height of administrative decay and backwardness to the institution.
Another institutional set back according to the union is the promotion of hostility, resentment and extreme bitterness among the staff. “This can be clearly seen in the acting appointment of junior staff cadres to senior staff cadres in some offices, an action that contravenes the civil service rules and principles. The Rector also makes appointments based on personal affiliation and without merits, as can be seen in the appointment of a director of work who is not an engineer, contrary to the polytechnic scheme of service.”
The union maintained that “the appointment of only one person with lower qualification to hold multiple strategic positions in the midst of most senior staff with higher qualification is another question that requires an answer, just to mention but a few things that have been brewing disaffection, demotivation, destabilisation and crisis among staff in the polytechnic.”
Expressing bitterness, the union also listed alleged administrative backsliding and aggrandisement as major causes of institutional decay.
