Nigeria: Auchi Polytechnic

Benin City — THE Chairman, Auchi Polytechnic Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Mr Lawani Jimoh, has tendered apology for allegedly not consulting members of the union before his purported endorsement of a particular candidate for the vacant position of rector of the nation’s foremost institution.

In a tension soaked congress, held at the weekend in Campus 1 of the polytechnic, members of the union questioned the motive of the ASUP chairman for the endorsement without the congress approval and demanded for a retraction of the purported endorsement.

Jimoh reportedly m tendered unreserved apology to the congress.

The position of the polytechnic rector had been vacant following the demise of the former rector, Dr Sunny Jimah, in November 2020.

It was gathered that following the advertisement on the vacant position, six persons were shortlisted made up of four internal and two external for interview that have since been conducted to fill the vacant position.

However, it was alleged that the chairman of the union took side with one of the internal candidate and wrote a letter of endorsement in favour of the particular candidate to President Muhammadu Buhari.

This triggered some form of protest from other candidates, who are also members of the institution’s chapter of the ASUP.