A group, Concerned Stakeholders of Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri Imo State has responded to the petition cabled to the federal government by six contestants for the post of rector of the institution.
The group expressed indignation that the six protesting lecturers could be opposed to a written examination forming part of the screening process for the appointment of a new rector for the Polytechnic.
Spokesperson of the Concerned Stakeholders, Chinwe Johnson wondered why the six protesting lecturers could develop phobia for a written examination.
She alleged that the protest was spearheaded by a cabal that has been terrorizing the polytechnic community in the last six years, stressing that the cabal is not relenting in maintaining its vice grip in order to cover its misdeeds.
She further alleged that the cabal used power of incumbency to disqualify opposing contestants in the selection board election of the institution, leading to them producing the four members from the institution that scored the contestants.
According to her, the cabal had the predetermined mindset to score their favourite candidates high, hoping that the interview would be oral.
Johnson disclosed that they became dismayed when the resource person decided to give a written examination which stopped the cabal from allocating unmerited marks to their preferred candidates.
The protesting sextet namely Dr. Onyemenonu C.C; Dr. Okafo Okoreaffia, Dr Uzoma Ibeaja, Dr. Lilian Esiagu, Dr Catherine Nwachukwu and Dr. Chinwe Okpoechi had in their petition through Messrs D C Denwigwe SAN & Associates complained against the resource person administering a written examination on them instead of oral interview.
They submitted that the written examination breached the provisions of the Polytechnics Act 2019 (As Amended),, which Johnson dismissed as untrue saying that the Act stipulates that interview should be conducted, but did not specify oral or written giving the resource person the liberty to choose any of the two forms.
They also alleged that the Resource Personnel, Professor Okorie Kalu Osonwa, a former Rector of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba was unqualified.
As a result, they insisted that results from a process overseen by him should not be acceptable.
Johnson further wondered how a former rector could be declared as unqualified after the cabal had rejected a sitting rector leading to the Governing Council’s appointment of Prof Osonwa as a replacement.
She disclosed that the questions set by the resource person was according to the template for such interviews, adding that the questions emanated from the scheme of service, procurement act and polytechnic manual.
According to her, all the contestants participated in the written interview without complaints while the selection board did not raise any objection during the written interview only for the contestants to start discrediting the examination when the result was published and they discovered, they performed poorly.
โThey should rather be ashamed of themselves for exposing their ignorance and lack of professionalism to the minister of education who is an astute scholar and a guru in lawโ Johnson said.
She expressed happiness that the six protesting candidates have by this action shown that they are not qualified for the position and called on the ministry of education, the federal government and the public to ignore them.
