The National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) has reinstated the accreditation of Abia State Polytechnic, which had been withdrawn due to the institution’s refusal to pay employee salaries and benefits for more than 30 months.
This was stated in Umuahia, the state capital, on August 31 by Eze Chikamnayo, the Abia State commissioner of information and strategy.
Recall that the head of the board’s communications department, Fatima Abubakar, announced the revocation of Abia Poly’s accreditation on Tuesday, July 19, citing the institution’s refusal to pay its personnel, who are over 30 months behind in salary and allowances.
According to Abubakar, regular wage payment is an essential element of the board’s normative instruments for quality assurance in the polytechnics and Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions under her jurisdiction.
The governing council and administration of the polytechnic breached their repeated promises to erase the backlog of salary arrears and ensure regular payment of personnel salaries.
The board wrote to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, informing him of the polytechnic’s dire situation, but to no avail.
“The board alerted the polytechnic to the ramifications of unpaid salaries, which included the suspension of quality assurance visits.”
At the time, many Abians were upset, pointing accusing fingers at the state governor and questioning the rationale behind such an unprecedented decision made without considering the impact on kids, their parents, and other institutional stakeholders.
Nonetheless, Chikamnayo asserted that the restoration of accreditation was prompted by the fact that the welfare of the state’s citizens has always been the administration of Okezie Ikeazu’s top priority, above other juridical considerations.
“As a result, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu rose to the situation, motivated by the fact that, above all other juridical considerations, the welfare of our citizens has always been his administration’s first priority.”
“The timely accomplishment of this extraordinary feat was made possible not only by our education-loving governor’s prompt provision of 450 million Naira to bail out the Institution from their self-inflicted malaise, but also by the immediate adoption of far-reaching reforms aimed at establishing sustainable growth and best practices going forward.”
“On behalf of all well-meaning Abians, both domestically and internationally, and the entire membership of the state executive council,” the statement reads, “we thank Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu for his exemplary leadership skills and undeniable contributions to the welfare and development of Abia State Polytechnic Aba.”