Stakeholders in the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba have bared their minds on possible causes of the current predicaments the institution is passing through.
They made this known in an interactive session with the adhoc committee set up by the Abia State House of Assembly to investigate its financial activities.
The President, Students Union Government, Comrade George Nwankwo said the population of students had continued to decline following late call up of graduands for National Youth Service Corps and pointed out that the school had not held convocation ceremony for the past ten years.
He further alleged that students have been subjected to payment of unauthorized fees by lecturers who saw it as means of survival as a result of non regularly payment of their salary by the school.
On his part, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, Comrade Kalu Amaogu noted that staff of the institution were being owed fifteen months salary arrears and attributed the regular industrial actions embarked by the union to poor relationship between the management and unions.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Senior Association of Nigeria Polytechnic, Comrade Chuks Nwachukwu explained that the school generate enough IGR noting that if leakages and overhead cost of administration were properly checked, it would go along way to offset some of the bills.
Other union leaders who spoke called for timely release of subvention by government and also appealed to the committee to persuade the authorities to pay them while the investigation lasted.
Reacting on some of the issues raised, the Chairman of the adhoc committee and member representing, Umuahia South Constituency, Hon. Jerry Uzosike said the committee was in the school for fact finding and possible ways to proffer systematic solution to their problems and pointed out that the committee was in possession of necessary documents to aid their job, promising that its finding would be made public.
