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Rector ignores telephone text messages, calls for his reaction
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Kaduna Chapter, Abubakar Jibrin Abdullahi, has alleged that the school management has threatened to sack him and disband the Union over his role in alleged illegal sales of staff housing units and the surrounding parcels of lands.
“Against all known traditions; the resort to scapegoating me for actions taken in my capacity as Chapter Chairman only shows clearly that, the mission is to finally issue me a sack letter, having isolated and singled me out of a cause vigorously and overwhelmingly pursued by my members in their majority”. Abdullahi said.
Reports said earlier this year, ASUP had engaged the school management that the sale of staff quarters was a clear breach of the government’s directive since the Ministry of Education had directed the stoppage but was jettisoned by the management.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, ASUP chairman said the Union’s corporate existence at the Chapter has been serially violated, with impunity promoted to the level of management’s instigation, recognition and open endorsement of a factional leadership, to break the Union’s solidarity.
But when contacted through telephone calls and SMS messages, the Kaduna Polytechnic Rector, Suleiman Umar kept mum, refusing to react to the allegations.
ASUP in the statement regretted that the school management succeeded in creating a factional group in the Union, and went ahead to suspend activities of the original Union within the Campus, despite several disclaimers on the factional group by the National body of ASUP.
ASUP chairman further alleged that the main motive of the management was to strangulate the union leadership break the ranks of its members and physically attack him.
“It is with grave concern that, I am returning to call the attention of the federal government, on behalf of the entire academic staff of Kaduna Polytechnic, about the sustained crackdown on the Union which has now assumed a more diabolic dimension, targeting the leadership, personally.
“You may wish to recall our previous engagements earlier in the year, raising concerns about the illegal sales of staff housing units and their accompanying surrounding parcels of lands.
“Our follow-up engagement with you was to the extent of calling for an audit of the entire housing units and details of those who benefitted as illegal buyers. Our contention at the time was the clear breach of the government’s categorical directive regarding the sales, and to intimate you of the letter from the Ministry of Education, directing the stoppage, which was equally jettisoned by management.
“We also intimate you of the Union’s pursuit of legal interpretation of the matter in a suit filed before the High Court. It is of concern, why management has done everything possible to blackmail the union to rescind the legal action, enough to raise suspicion about the affirmation of the sustained illegality regarding the sales.
“The management has since proceeded to willfully dispose of the houses and lands in the face of a massive expansion of programmes and increasing student enrolment population, against the background of overstretched and deficient infrastructure.
“Between then and now, the already congested main campus in Tudun Wada has been further constrained with congestion in the execution of funded infrastructure where land is scarce for the school’s broadening heritage, but sadly available for grabs by a monolithic, opportunistic selected few.
“Between then and now, the Union’s corporate existence at the Chapter has been serially violated, with impunity promoted to the level of management’s instigation, recognition and open endorsement of a factional leadership, to break the union’s solidarity and resolve.
“Following the emergence of the illegal faction, the intended objective immediately translated in a letter by management dated 4th May 2023 suspending all Union activities within the Campus. It is worthy of note that, the National body has severally issued a disclaimer on the factional group, including clarifying to management in a letter dated 8th May, 2023 clarifying and affirming the mandate of the duly recognized elected leadership of the Chapter.
“The diabolic adoption of the illegitimate faction by management for obvious reasons has hindered management’s acknowledgement of the clarification by the national body, and we are not surprised.
“Subsequently, the faction wrote to the union’s banker, Kadpoly Micro-Finance Bank Tudun Wada Campus, for the stoppage of the Union’s transactions.
“This illegality, contrary to statutes and ethics of banking, has however been upheld because the Rector is the Board Chairman of the bank, under whose directive the stoppage had been initiated.
“The EXCO, unrelenting, continued with its activities outside the institution, following clarification by the national body and in furtherance of its compliance to take further action on the issue of the illegal sales.
“It was on this basis that the union convened its annual ASUP Sports Fiesta and Health walk, using the facilities of L.E.A Primary School Chawai Road and Government Day Secondary School Maimuna Gwarzo, outside the Institution.
“In the same vein, the EXCO notified of a Congress Meeting proposed to hold at Arewa House, to address matters of staff welfare and issues of general interest. The meeting however did not hold as concerns were raised about possible security breaches.
“In a surprising twist to further deepen its impunity in the sustained oppression, the management proceeded to issue a query letter to the Chairman, demanding an explanation on union activities against management’s earlier directive. The union’s Solicitor issued a response that the union did not carry out any activities within the Institution.
“Dissatisfied, management wrote another letter, summoning the Chairman to appear before the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee. For a matter already far determined by prejudice to victimize my person, my non-appearance before the Committee has been taken in addition to the earlier query issued, as the basis for my consequent suspension, in another letter dated 22nd September, 2023.
“Against all known traditions; the resort to scapegoating Abubakar Jibrin Abdullahi for actions taken in my capacity as Chapter Chairman only shows clearly, the desperation in where all of this is headed. It is clear that the mission is to finally issue me a sack letter, having isolated and singled me out of a cause vigorously and overwhelmingly pursued by my members in their majority.
“This stranglehold on the union leadership further reinforces the depth of anarchy in the Institution, for which staff have been silenced out of fear, after helplessly losing our collective heritage to opportunists.
“The fundamental questions still remain; In whose benefits were the housing units sold, against government directive?
“How many houses and lands were sold, to whom and at what costs? What were the criteria used in the selection of those who benefitted? Why is management afraid of the reach to the judiciary to rule an interpretation on the matter?
“Why is management “on bed” with an illegal faction instituted by beneficiaries of the illegal sales? Why is Abubakar Jibrin Abdullahi being individually victimised over a matter where infractions are not well established?
“The answers to all these questions can easily be afforded. It is why the call to stop the looming anarchy in Kaduna Polytechnic has become more expedient. The orchestrated climate of fear is only for one purpose- to strangulate the union leadership and break the will of its members, just to pull through with illegality.”
