Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia
The campaign to make the Abia State Polytechnic (Abiapoly), Aba, has continued to enjoy the support of stakeholders with staff unions in the institution rising in support of Senator Theodore Orji for spearheading the federal takeover campaign.
Abia is the only state in South-east that has no federal polytechnic and college of education, a situation that is at variance with the federal policy that each state must have a federal university, polytechnic and college of education.
The Abiapoly branch of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Abiapoly chapter of the Abia State University Alumni Association paid a courtesy visit to the senator representing Abia Central to express their support and encourage him in the federal takeover campaign.
Orji told the staff union leaders that his actions were always guided by the interest of the people hence his efforts to make the federal government to takeover Abiapoly. He recalled that the struggle to make Abiapoly a federal institution started when he was governor but it did not materialise for inexplicable reasons.
“But we have not given up on the campaign,†he said, adding that Abia was being shortchanged as the federal policy on giving each state a university, polytechnic and college of education was yet to be fully implemented in God’s Own State. Orji noted that Abiapoly has all the structures on ground and enough room for expansion to make it easy for transition from state to federal institution as the transition would be less expensive for the federal government.
To correct the anomaly and injustice of denying Abia a federal polytechnic, the Abia Central Senator said that the bill for the conversion of Abiapoly to federal polytechnic has been presented before the Senate, adding that it has enjoyed wide support.
According to him the report of the public hearing on the bill was positive hence he assured that the bill would be passed before the end of the present dispensation. He urged the staff unions to pray hard for the seamless passage of the bill.
“I stand for equity and do to others what I want others to me,†he said, adding that he would not relent in the campaign for the federal government to takeover Abiapoly.
Earlier in his remarks the chairman of Abiapoly ASUP, Engr. Godswill Uma said that the unions were excited by the bill presented by senator for the federal takeover of Abiapoly.
“We want to make it clear that we are for Senator T. A. Orji and we will do whatever it will take to re-elect him,†he said, adding that the former governor has done so much for the people and left his footprints on the sands of time.
Uma said that the Abiapoly staff unions were delighted with Orji for his interest to make Abiapoly a federal institution even though he is not representing Abia South where the polytechnic is located.
“In your eight years as the state governor, you have created a paradigm shift in governance and we want you to be among the ranking senators in this country as one who want to touch the lives of constituents,†he said.
Corroborating his fellow union leader, the chairman of SSANIP, Chuks Nwachukwu lauded Senator Orji for his legislative activities and for positively touching the lives of his constituents.
“We are highly indebted to you for all you have been doing for Abiapoly,†he said, adding that Orji’s unwavering interest in making the institution a federal polytechnic.
