Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state has directed the convocation of a mini-summit of critical stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the challenges being experienced by Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, especially with regards to regular payment of workers and repositioning of the institution to take leading role in the training of next-generation technologists that will drive innovation in the state and Nigeria.
Ikpeazu who recently appointed a new Rector for the institution expressed worry with the current operating structure that has made it difficult for the institution to regularly meet its wage obligations and stem the tide of perennial industrial actions by workers union in the institution and invited the National President of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Comrade Anderson Ezeibe, his counterpart in NASUP as well as the local Chairmen and Secretaries of the unions to join the management team of the institution, state ministry of education and relevant government officials to a 3-day summit which is expected to hold from the 20th to 22nd of September 2020 under the Chairmanship of the Governor.
According to Governor Ikpeazu, “we cannot afford to allow the bleeding at Abiapoly to continue as the institution is key to the realization of our dream of leading the rest of the country in technological advancement as our forebears did with “ikpu uzu”. It is, therefore, necessary for us to sit down and collectively agree on a way forward that will ensure that workers, students and other stakeholders are happy to contribute their quota to realize the dreams that led to the setting up of the institution”
