Chieftains of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, have urged the federal government to disregard a petition demanding the sack of the institution’s rector, Basilia Igbokwe.

Former chairs of the chapter, led by Anayo Uhiara, made the request at a news briefing on Wednesday after staging a solidarity march in Owerri in defence of the embattled rector.

Mr Uhiara referred to a petition to education minister Olatunji Alausa, written by the national president of ASUP, Shamma Kpanja, seeking the nullification of Ms Igbokwe’s appointment as rector.

In the petition, Mr Kpanja hinged his grouse on the “non-compliance with set standards” in Ms Igbokwe’s appointment and her “non-qualification for the office.”

Mr Uhiara, however, described the petition as “self-serving, clandestine and destructive.“

According to him, President Bola Tinubu made Ms Igbokwe‘s appointment in compliance with extant laws.

He further said that Mr Kpanja’s petition did not have the mandate of the ASUP Federal Polytechnic Nekede chapter.

“I have the mandate of our institution’s chapter of ASUP and that of all the past chairmen of the union to urge the minister of education to disregard Comrade Shamma Kpanja’s petition as lacking in merit.

“In a recent ASUP congress, we unanimously agreed to embrace the appointment of our rector and give her our unalloyed support, as it meets all necessary requirements and procedures.

“We, therefore, dissociate ourselves from a planned industrial action intended to protest against Igbokwe’s appointment and insist that the existing peace in our polytechnic must not be jeopardised for self-serving interests,” Mr Uhiara said.

Five of the seven current executive members of the union and former chairs participated in the solidarity march.

Also in attendance were the leadership of the Students’ Union Government and leaders of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics in the institution, amongst others.

(NAN)