The workforce at the Federal Polytechnic Ekowe in Bayelsa state on Monday said that only the removal of the Rector Dr. Agbabiaka Lukman Adegoke will guarantee industrial harmony to the institution which was shut down since July 11.

The workers had kept the institution under locks for alleged violation of the Polytechnic Act by the Rector who took the three unions to court over labour disputes whereas the governing council was mandated under the Act to handle labour related matters.

The workers under the auspices of Non Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) spoke in an interview with newsmen in Yenagoa.

Deacon Comrade Charles Arogo, Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic branch of SSANIP said that the workforce is unanimous in the demand for the removal of the Rector.

According to him, cases of sack of workers without recourse to laid-down procedures and recourse to union, victimisation of union officials and the non-release of promotion letters to union leaders as well as clandestine employment without requisite budgetary provisions were no longer tolerable.

He said that in 2024 for instance the recruitment of 41 staff mostly from the Rector’s tribe without budgetary provision breached laid procedures hence depleted the personnel budget causing a salary shortfall crisis.

He explained that the Rector has displayed a lack of capacity to run the institution before the staff, students and stakeholders who are seeking his removal.

“SSANIP joined this move in solidarity with NASU whose 400 members June salary were withheld under the guise of no work no pay rule after they had suspended her strike action.

“The seizure of the salary was illegal because it applies only when a union goes on strike beyond three months but in this case the strike was suspended after two months; SSANIP unions saw this as oppression that is why we called for a Joint Action Congress (JAC) and raised a 14 point petition to justify our demand for the sack of the Rector.

The JAC of NASU and SSANIP union is urging the Federal Government, Federal Ministry of Education to save Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe from total collapse, under the Rector Dr. Agbabiaka Lukman Adegoke’s watch, the student population has dwindled from 3,000 when he was appointed in 2022 to 300 currently,” Arogo said.

On his part Comrade Etebu Ebifiye, Chairman of NASU in the polytechnic said that dragging the three unions to court over routine labour matters was both a gross misconduct and violation of the Polytechnic Act which must be met with appropriate sanctions.

“There is no place in the Polytechnic Act for litigation over labour disputes with unions, and there are no budgetary provisions for litigation; so, the Rector should state how he had been funding the court processes.

The Rector walked out of a reconciliatory meeting by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, declining to sign a Memorandum of Agreement at the parley some months back for his failure to deduct check-off dues for the unions from January to March, 2025.

“We found out that the Rector Dr. Agbabiaka Lukman Adegoke acted alone without the approval of the governing council whom is legally empowered to resolve internal labour disputes. Our findings show that the court case was not even discussed at the last council meeting,” Ebifiye said.

Ebifiye noted that it was regrettable that rather than call the Rector to order, the chairman of the governing council abdicated his responsibility and took the dispute to Ijaw National Congress for mediation. The INC has set up committee to investigate the root causes of the impasse, a responsibility of the governing council.

For the academic staff, Comrade Woyengitonye Abadani, ASUP chapter chairman said that the union withdrew its own services and communicated same to the rector on July 16 due to heightened tension and concerns for the safety of its members and the institution’s properties.

Abadani who restated the commitment of academic staff to work, development of students and the advancement of the institution urged the governing council of the Polytechnic to rise to the occasion and restore normalcy.

“The governing council has oversight functions on the management; therefore, we call on the governing council, composed of both the internal and external members of the council to resolve this labour disputes which has lingered since the beginning of the year.

When contacted for an update on the face-off, Mr Nimizuo Pereseigha, Public Relations Officer of Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe said that the Ijaw National Congress was already brokering a truce and advised the management to withdraw the pending case in court.

He however regretted that even though the management agreed to withdraw the case, the ongoing court vacation was an obstacle but said that the case would be withdrawn as soon as the courts resume from vacation.

On the responsibility of the governing council to mediate, the PRO said that the chairman of the governing council has visited Bayelsa twice on peace mission twice since the institution was shut.