Staff Of Oko Polytechnic Petition Rector, Prof Onu Over Sponsored Blackmail Within To Tarnish Institutions Image

                                             

There is not yet peace between the Academic staff Union of the Federal polytechnic, Oko and the Rector, Prof Godwin Onu based on sponsored allegations targeted at pulling down the moral of the ASUP Executive to succumb to internal arrangements against their wish.

Odogwuemekaodogwu.blogspot.com reports that rather than cow the image of the lecturers , the exalted image of the institution is being questioned by the half baked and myopic sponsored press statements. The ASUP is petitioning the Nigerian Press Council over the situation to discover who actually wrote the press statement that maligned the image of Polytechnic.  

See the attached letter below

The Rector,                                                                                            14-08-2014

Federal Polytechnic,

Oko

Sir,

CONGRESS RESOLUTION ON THE SUN PUBLICATION OF AUGUST 4, 2014, RELATED MATTERS, THE DIGNITY AND WELFARE OF ACADEMIC STAFF OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, OKO

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Federal Polytechnic, Oko Chapter met on Tuesday August 12, 2014. The meeting discussed with a heavy heart, a Sun newspaper publication of Monday August, 4, 2014.  That publication had a title “Poly students threaten showdown, warn lecturers”.

The publication was attributed to Messrs Martin Umeokonkwo (President Students Union Government), Nwali Paul (Speaker House of Parliament) and Okafor Chidiebere (Acting Chief Judge.

In any case, the publication suspiciously had no bye line and the writer has no trace for now. On this, congress noted that it is at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko that students brazenly “warn lecturers.”  Congress could not remember an institution were students prescribe the examination mode which determines how they are found worthy in learning and in character.

Congress agreed that Sun newspaper is a reputable national daily, but lamented the failure of the writer to balance the story in line with the avowed principle of fairness and balance. With a solid crème of editorial crew, what really went wrong before the publication was debated by congress. Congress resolved that this matter be brought to the Press Council.

According to the same publication, a yet to be seen five-page petition signed by  comrade Martin Umeokonkwo et al  (see attached) asserted computer-based method of administering exam was best for them, and argued it would check  “missing scripts, sales of unauthorised text books by lecturers, extortion, improve markings, and computation speed, accuracy,  among others”.

Sir, these utterances are in bad taste and cannot be overlooked. What baffled congress was how students began to rate the quality of books produced by lecturers whose international standards are really worth x-raying: Highly rated NBTE resource personnel, ICAN examiners, ANAN examiners, first class Town Planners and architects computer geniuses, award winners, etc. Sir all these people are staff and their performances are world acclaimed. Who has undertaken to blackmail the academic staff?

Sir, in that publication, the students really claimed they were “disposed to embracing technology to set example for other institutions nationwide”. But congress did not consider that claim worthy of discussion.

Congress recalled that many students have excelled in the institution, including those who have smiled home with Presidential awards. The polytechnic students have been found worthy in the labour market, no small thanks to the high level manpower under your supervision. No level of mischief from any body can take this away. How this level of mischief continues to find its way into the media is a question raised by congress.

Rector Sir, congress was in affirmative that something is amiss with the barrage of publications on the polytechnic and resolved that there is need for this ugly trend to be checked in the interest of the institution and education sector. Congress noted that in recent times, the Federal Polytechnic, Oko has been in the news and historically, no institution in Nigeria has attracted such attention.  Congress agreed that many of these publications are really unnecessarily sponsored canned information. Congress concluded that it appears the media are having a swell time on the polytechnic matters. In this regard, congress resolved to take up some issues to the Press Council and the law as a means of unravelling the causal agents.

What also baffled congress sir, was how students could refer to a sitting chairman of a mother chapter of the ASUP, as former chairman who had “concluded plans to protest against management’s resolve to use computer to administer examination for the students”.

Sir, even though the eventual discarding of the computer exam for the OMR format is not a subject of discussion, congress saw brazen allegation as tantamount to lack of character on the part of the students and should be discouraged.

Rector sir, you may have read a portion of the newspaper publication that said: “It is really sad and provoking to note here that some of our female colleagues especially married ones were in several occasions compelled to pay for accommodation in hotels around town with their money only for lecturers to come and feast on them and still fail them at the end of the day but the CBT/OMR will address all these cases.”

These are baseless and really unprintable. Congress resolution on OMR/CBT is clear and, as a management-union and NBTE matter, congress concluded it was not necessary to join issues with any uninformed student.

Related to the above, congress bemoaned the present tide in blackmail, mischief and harassment of academic staff by yet to be identified students. Based on reports brought to the meeting, congress resolved that your office be notified. This forms the second key issue on this memo and congress resolves it could lead to industrial disharmony. Congress concluded that a situation where unidentified and possibly sponsored students come up with unimaginable and unsubstantiated allegations against academic staff is not acceptable to a learning environment. Worrisome is that these students walk away freely without any form of sanctions. Congress concluded it is time to reverse this situation through legal means.

Congress resolved that all academic staff be upright, vigilant and report any blackmail against academic staff to union and proper authorities. As a means of protecting the image of the institution and academic staff, congress resolved to take proper legal steps against the names attributed in the paper as well as the newspaper.

Yours in service of education,

Dr. Onyeka Uwakwe                                          Lady (Barr.) Ogugua Ochuba

Chairman                                                                      Gen. Secretary

C:  Hon. Minister of Education

      Chairman NBTE

      Executive Secretary NBTE

      Director Programmes NBTE

      Director Tertiary

      Director Polytechnic Education

      Council Chairman

      Rector

      Deputy Rector

      Registrar

      Bursar

      Polytechnic Librarian

      National President ASUP

      National Secretary ASUP

      Zonal Coordinator ASUP Zone D