The Idoma Intellectual Forum, IIF, has called on Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State to douse the palpable tension in the Benue State Polytechnic community and abort the growing acrimony, cautious distrust and ill feelings by appointing a substantive Rector for the school immediately.
This was contained in statement on Friday, at Abuja by the National Secretary of IIF, Dr. Sunday Ochigbo.
According to the group, they subscribed to the vision and commitment of the Governor Alia’s administration to overhaul, rejig and reform the educational sector in Benue State for optimal and excellent output.
The group emphasized that the decision of the governor to sack all heads of the state-owned higher institutions was not out of place, so long as it was targeted towards bringing on board more qualified and competent hands.
“What bewildered us now is the long period it has taken to fill up the vacancy occasioned by the sack of the heads of the higher institutions, especially Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.
“Almost immediately after the sack, a substantive Provost for the Benue State College of Education, Oju was appointed and earlier today, a substantive Rector for the Alfred Akawe Torkula Polytechnic, Makurdi was also appointed.
“We now wonder why the process of appointing a substantive Rector for Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo is being delayed or taking more time than necessary,” they questioned.
The group said the composition of the management team of the Benpoly was unpleasant to the mind of the Idoma people and completely against state character.
“A situation where the acting rector of the Polytechnic is a Tiv man, Bursar is a Tiv man, Registrar is a Tiv man, Director of works is a Tiv man, and every other critical management position is being hijacked by our Tiv brothers in an institution located in Idoma Land is unacceptable,” the group declared.
The IIF frowned at the sacking of an Idoma Rector and the appointment of a Tiv acting Rector by the Alia administration.
They condemned the grand plot to continue to marginalise and shortchange the Idoma people in every sector of Benue State, and even in a state-owned Polytechnic located in Idoma land.
BenPoly: Purge yourself of ethnic favouritism – Group tells Alia
