•Staff unions boycott meeting to elect rep
By Gabriel Dike
The governing council of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has disqualified one of the aspirants for the vacant registrar’s position.
The decision of the Princes Lateef Fagbemi-led governing council is still generating ripples on campus and the wider educational circuit. Some staff backed the action while others were opposed to it.
The applicant, a deputy registrar in YABATECH, was among six persons that applied for the vacant position.
The Education Report gathered that two deputy registrars from the college and four from other polytechnics applied for the plum job.
According to a source, one internal applicant was disqualified based on his age, which was part of the conditions stated in the advertorial.
The same governing council last year disqualified some chief lecturers who applied for the then vacant rector’s position on age grounds.
Investigations by The Education Report showed that the staff unions kicked against the decision of the governing council and were ready for a showdown with the council unless the decision was reversed.
To back up their threat, the unions boycotted a meeting convened by the college management to elect staff representatives into the interview panel.
Our source further disclosed that the college management was forced to postpone the election and the council chairman, Prince Fagbemi, was briefed of the situation.
The source said: “One of the applicants from within was disqualified because of his age. Interview date fixed for Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Letters for the interview have been sent to applicants shortlisted.
“The same thing happened during the appointment of a rector. Some chief lecturers were not shortlisted on age grounds, which was stated in the advert for the vacant position.
“The applicant disqualified for the registrar’s position clocked 59 in December 2022. From all indications, the three staff unions are supporting the disqualified deputy registrar. The unions ought to be fighting for an internal registrar as was done during the rectorship race,” she said.
Apparently in reaction to the staff unions’ opposition to the council’s decision, the interview for the registrar’s position has been postponed till further notice.
However, a former deputy rector (names withheld) is not in support of the action of the staff unions, asking, “where were they when some chief lecturers were disqualified last year during the screening for the rector position?
“Obviously and from all indications, the unions are backing the disqualified applicant, forgetting that another internal deputy registrar is still in the race. Again, what did they do when a former deputy registrar was disqualified some years back for the same reason? Did they fight for him? No, they didn’t. So, why now?”
The Education Report sought the reaction of the deputy registrar/head of public relations, Mr. Joe Ejiofor, who did not respond to questions sent to him on the face-off between the unions and the council over the position of the registrar.
Meanwhile, the branch chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, Mr. Kayode Jason, promised to respond to the issue but, two weeks after, he has failed to do so.
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