Bida Poly rector voluntarily retires from service

The Rector Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State Voluntarily retired from Service of the Polytechnic .

Dr Abubakar Abdul Dzukogi has spent 35 years in service and on 10 June, 2020 via a letter officially addressed to the Registrar of the institution voluntary retirement from the service of the polytechnic but seeks to continue in office has Rector despite retiring voluntarily.

The embattled rector who claimed his tenure was extended to 2023 by one Director Tertiary Education, Mr Ojo who himself retired last week from Federal Ministry of Education has generated controversy because it against the provisions of Polytechnic Act Amended 2019.

Recall that on 7th July 2020. The Head of Service (HoS) of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, has described as illegal, similar extension of service of the Clerk of the National Assembly and urged the leadership of the National Assembly to reverse their elongation of service.

HOS, in a memo with reference number: HCSF/SPSO/ODD/E & NP/649807/I, and dated June 30, 2020, which was sighted by Sahara Reporter, was entitled ‘Presentation by the Head of Service of the Federation to the Leadership of the National Assembly on the Resolution of the 8th Assembly Regarding the Extension of Retirement Age of the Staff of the National Assembly Service Commission.’

“The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) classifies the clerk and other staff of the National Assembly as public servants whose conditions of service are guided are by the public service rules which derives its existence from Section 169 made pursuant to Section 160(1) of the Constitution.

“In specific terms, Section 318(1) of the Constitution states that ‘public service of the Federation means the service of any capacity in respect of the Government of the Federation and includes as (a) clerk or other staff of the National Assembly or of each house of the National Assembly.’

Notwithstanding, the HOS disclaimer an inside source from the Polytechnic reveals that Rector refused to handover after he voluntarily tender a retirement letter. This action he complains runs contrary to the civil service rules and constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria section 160(1) and169 respectively. According to him implications is that any administrative action or financial benefit enjoyed while parading himself has rector after his voluntary retirement shall be null and void the source said.

More trouble for Dzukogi

More trouble for the embattled Rector Federal Polytechnic, Bida, as the Academic Staff Union, Federal Polytechnic, Bida , Niger petitioned ICPC and other anti craft agencies over alleged diversion of 1billion naira TETFUND intervention and highhandedness in the management and adminstration of Tetfund intervention to the institution.The Union in a petition to executive Secretary TETFUND alleged that There as been abhorrent irregularities in the administration of TETfund in the institution since last five (5) years. Those irregularities include but not limited to the following;
Nomination of beneficiaries without recourse to the TETfund regulation on eligibility of beneficiaries.

Violation of the provision in the TETfund guideline which states that recommendation of beneficiaries “….must be accompanied by the minutes of meeting of the relevant selection Committee [TETfund Interventions Implementation Committee]”

Refusal to release fund to beneficiaries according to the fund’s regulation which states that “The living expenses of Ph.D scholars should be paid to the scholars account on annual basis after receiving satisfactory progress report”.

Removing the names of beneficiaries who are presumed to be Pro-Union.

Refusal to make public the actual amount allocated to the institution on Annual basis, particularly on Academic Staff Training and Development Intervention Sponsorship.

2019 Recommended Staff for ASTD intervention mostly focusing on those who are Pro-Management without the approval or meeting of statutory recognized committee.

Manipulation of minutes of meeting especially for nominees who did not go through recognized screening committee on TETFUND in our institution.

Not respecting the guideline, which provided that “In addition, local sponsorship for Ph.D in Science based discipline is ₦1,500,000.00 per annum while other discipline is ₦1,200,000.00 per annum to a maximum of three (3) years. In the same vein, the sponsorship for Masters’ Degree for Science based disciplines is ₦1,500,000.00 while other discipline is ₦1,200,000.00 [i.e ₦750,000.00 and ₦600,000.00 per annum, respectively, to a maximum of two (2) years].”
The Union observed that, the management coerced TETFund beneficiaries who defaulted in the pursuit of their interventions on Academic Studies, Conferences etc. to refund the intervention monies into an unknown account.

THE UNION DEMANDS AS FOLLOW:

Strict adherence to the TETfund Guidelines and regulations.

Immediate stoppage of unfair removal of names of staff perceived to be anti- management and allow the TETfund committee to work as stipulated in the TETfund guidelines.

Management to make public the actual amount allocated to the institution on Annual basis, particularly on Academic Staff Training and Development Intervention Sponsorship.

Immediate stoppage of nomination of beneficiaries without recourse to the TETfund regulation on eligibility.

According undue advantage to staff perceived to be Pro-Management without the approval or meeting of statutory recognized TETfund committee be stopped henceforth.

Prompt release of fund to beneficiaries according to the fund’s regulation which states that “The living expenses of PhD scholars should be paid to the scholars account on annual basis after receiving satisfactory progress report”.

Discontinuation of the old practice of demanding for certificate from scholars before final tranche is released to beneficiaries. This is because the goal of the fund is to support the educational process not to benefit from the fund after acquiring the certificate.

Henceforth, we want funds to be released to beneficiaries after presenting a satisfactory progress report from the scholars’ PG school, HOD or supervisor as the case may be.

Immediate release of balance of the tranch to all scholars both local and international PhD or MSc students regardless of whether they have presented certificate or not .

Annual release of funds to beneficiaries as stipulated in the TETfund guidelines should be respected.

Stranded Foreign Scholars who were given scholarship in 2015, 2016 and 2017 should be immediately addressed according to the TETfund mandate.

Illegal allocation of 10% of funds allocated to the Polytechnic to Rector is not only callous but a clear corruption and must stop henceforth. As requested from Rector, he should rather submit his sponsorship request to the committee in order to have records of all applicants.

Many of our members who defaulted in the pursuit of their intervention on academic studies and/or conferences are/were manipulated, coarse to refund the money to unknown account. This ugly trend of refunding to unknown account started since 2015. All the affected individuals who had been grossly and inappropriately punished in multiple ways should be stopped