Six senior staff members of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede in Owerri, Imo, have called for a fresh interview process to recruit a new rector for the institution.

According to them, they have notified the federal government over the flawed recruitment process of a new rector for the institution, a petition by them on Sunday says.

The six persons, who also contested the institution’s substantive rector position, signed the petition addressed to the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman.

They include Uzoma Ibeja, Christopher Onyiemenonu, Lilian Esiagu, Catherine Nwachukwu, Okafo Okereaffia, and Chinwe Okpoechi.

The petitioners, all applicants to the position of rector of the polytechnic,  said they were shortlisted, along with one other person, for an interview, which was to be held on August 6, 2024.

However, they said they were compelled to sit an examination instead, contrary to the provisions of the Polytechnics Act 2019 (As Amended).

They alleged that the resource person recruited for the conduct of the exercise was unqualified and that the results from a process overseen by him should not be considered acceptable.

They further said four out of the seven selection board members had earlier suggested that the exercise be halted, having observed anomalies, until all issues raised by the protesting candidates were addressed.

They said there was no collation of candidates’ results and no reports on the exercise that were written, signed, adopted, or submitted to the governing council.

They, therefore, dissociated themselves from any purported results of candidates for the position submitted to the Federal Ministry of Education by the Chairman of the Governing Council.

“We call on the Honorable Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, to reject any results purportedly emanating from this flawed process in line with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to due process as expressed in his visit to our institution one year ago.

“We also call for the conduct of a fresh interview in line with extant laws to ensure that the process leading to the emergence of a substantive rector is beyond reproach,’’ they said. 

(NAN)