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- Site leased for 100 years at N3.5m per year
By Gab Dike, Lagos
Construction of a filling station between the central laboratory, central store as well as close to students classroom and offices in Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) is generating ripples between the staff unions and the college management.
The lease agreement was signed in 2021 for 100 years at N3.5million per year.
Investigations revealed that the former Rector, Femi Omokungbe and former Registrar, Dr. Sikiru Momodu signed the agreement with a major oil firm without the knowledge of the legal department.
The staff unions wrote different letters to the college management and followed it up with a joint letter asking that the ongoing construction be halted.
In the letters to the rector, the staff unions asked the management to stop the ongoing construction of the filling station, which is sited close to the central laboratory, central college store with chemicals and School of Science made up of offices and students classrooms.
According to the unions, the terms of the contract did not pass the legal department of the college while some governing council members saw the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the college and the oil firm for the first time at their last meeting.
In a swift reaction, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) staged a protest at the site of the ongoing construction with different placards.
Some of the placards read: “Stop work on the petrol/gas station beside the college central laboratory.” Another one reads: “Save the college from environmental hazards. “ Don’t mortgage college property.” And YABATECH sold out for 100 years at N3.5million annually.”
ASUP YABATECH chairman, Comrade Ojo Monday said the college is sitting on a keg of gunpowder and that the construction starts suddenly.
His words: “It is an anomaly created by the former Rector to convert the 500 cubic water reservoir to filling station.”
“YABATECH campus is so choked that it cannot accommodate a business enterprise of these magnitude-1, 280 square metres. It was for this reason that the college has been growing vertically because we do not have land to build. This space that has been proposed for petrol station can be earmarked for classroom, staff offices that we need urgently.
“It is worrisome that the Terms of Agreement was not allowed to pass through due process, thus, preventing the council from adequately intervening before it was dissolved. Regrettably, under the terms, the college land was leased from one hundred years (2023-2122) for the annual rent of N3.5million in such a brow area.”
In a swift reaction to the protest, YABATECH Rector, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul confirmed that the former management signed an MoU on the construction of a filling station.
Abdul said when he assumed office, he discovered the MoU was one sided, adding, “we have already invited AP for renegotiation of the contract.”
He confirmed that ASUP wrote directing management to stop the ongoing construction and explained that it was wrong of the union to issue such order.
“The union should approach or ask questions from the management for correct information. I will invite ASUP for discussion on the issue. When I said the terms were unfavorable to the management, it included the 100 years the agreement will last,” he noted.
On the issue of danger raised by the union, he said the advantage and disadvantage of siting the filling station at the space would be discussed and that if the place would not be conducive for the project, the contract would be terminated.
His added: “Unfortunately, an agreement has been signed and the construction has started. I brought it to the attention of the dissolved governing council.”
His added: “Unfortunately, an agreement has been signed and the contract has started work at the site. I brought it to the attention of the dissolved governing council.”
