The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), has appealed to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to reconsider the Isa Musthapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia, for interventions.
Mr Anderson Ezeibe, National President of ASUP made the call during a news conference after meeting with the union members at the polytechnic on Tuesday in Lafia.
According to Ezeibe, it is regrettable that ASUP members were refused TETFund sponsorship due to alleged diversion of monies for support by former management of the institution.
He said that activities of the former management denied the institution further access to TETfund grants, thereby preventing it from rapid infrastructure and human capital development.
“Some of our colleagues, who have gone for further studies under TETfund sponsorship, are currently stranded in the United Kingdom and other places due to lack of funds.
“TETfund has also placed an embargo on sponsoring further projects in the institution due to the embezzlement of monies for projects in the past,” the union leader said.
He urged the management of the institution and state government to punish those involved in the misappropriation of TETFund support in order to enable the institution to benefit again.
He also called on Gov. Abdullahi Sule, to ensure full implementation of the whitepaper by the investigative panel on the activities of the institution’s former management.
“Only the full implementation of the white paper will enable the institution to access TETfund’s support again,’’ he noted.
Ezeibe also appealed to the governor to implement the four years outstanding promotion and annual increments of members of the union.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the immediate past administration in the state constituted a panel to investigate activities of the former management of the institution and which it had submitted its report since January, 2019. (NAN)
