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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Mixed reactions have continued to trailed the withdrawal of accreditation of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
The polytechnic accreditation was withdrawn by NBTE over non-payment of staff salaries and allowances for over 30 months.
In a statement, Head, Media Department, NBTE, Fatima Abubakar, also added that the accreditation was withdrawn because the polytechnic had not shown any commitment to offset the arrears and ensure regular payment of salaries.
She said the board had drawn the attention of the state government and the polytechnic’s management to the dangers inherent in non-payment of salaries, including the suspension of quality assurance visits.
“The board went the extra mile of writing to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, informing him of the dire situation of the polytechnic but all to no avail.
“It is, therefore, with utmost sense of responsibility that the board has decided to withdraw the accreditation status of the polytechnic to safeguard the quality assurance mechanism of the board.
“It is also to ensure students are not left at the mercy of demotivated staff that may resort to under the table practices to survive,” she said.
The board said it had written the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) not to mobilise any graduate of the polytechnic for its national service until the institution remedies the problem.
The statement added that the NBTE would notify the NYSC when the accreditation status was restored.
Reacting to NBTE’s action, the polytechnic’s management assured there was no cause for alarm as everything was being done to remedy the situation.
When Daily Sun visited the institution, its management was said to be in a meeting.
Addressing the students later, the Rector, Okorie Kalu Osonwa, assured the students the management was in talks with the government to ensure the needful was done.
Osonwa charged the students to go about their normal academic activities and not to be moved by the stories making the rounds, adding that in a few days, they will meet up with the NBTE’s demands.
