The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets has asked the Management of Kaduna Polytechnic, the Ministry of Education and the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on government property to halt the allocation and sale of property belonging to Kaduna Polytechnic.
The committee’s resolution followed the consideration of a petition to the House by some serving and retired staff of the polytechnic.
Property belonging to the Polytechnic all over Kaduna, including land, staff quarters and guest houses are currently being sold to staff and non-staff of the polytechnic.
The committee also summoned the Rector, Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr. Suleiman Umar, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Head of Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) as well as Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) in the institution to an investigative hearing.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets, Hon Ademorin Kuye said the specific date, time and venue for their appearance will be communicated to them.
The polytechnic staff had alleged that most of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the polytechnic were not aware of the sales.
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The Committee said all further allocations of plots of land and staff quarters of the Polytechnic to non-staff of the school, pending the conclusion of investigation into the alleged sharp practices in the sale of the properties should be suspended.
Hon. Kuye said the suspension becomes necessary because if most of the plots of land and houses of the school are sold to non-staff, the future lecturers and non-teaching staff will not find it easy to operate.
“We have a lot of students who are in school now who will become staff of the Kaduna Polytechnic tomorrow. If you sell all the land and staff quarters, particularly to non-staff of the school now, where will they be tomorrow?”
He said in the out-of-court settlement by relevant parties on the issue presented to the committee by the Presidential Implementation Committee, there was no provision for non-staff members of the school to be beneficiaries of the allocations.
The Head of the Presidential Implementation Committee, Bala Sanusi said the agreement reached by the parties in a legal battle that lasted over ten years, led to the resolution which was approved by Kaduna Polytechnic Board, PIC and Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The petitioners on their part said contrary to the resolution as presented by the PIC, most of the school properties for lease were sold to non-staff while several staff members were not aware that such things were ongoing.
Speaking on behalf of the petitioners, Dr. Omale Apochi and Isiaka Bankole said they only got information of the process on owner – occupier basis, adding that most of their colleagues were ignorant of the process.
They alleged that despite meeting all the requirements, including payment of between N4.7 million and above, the authorities of the institution through the acting Director, Works of the Institute, Abdulrahaman Tukur, a consultant with PIC, Nura Usman and one Gimba Elisha, their plots of land were carved out and sold to non-staff of the school without remitting the proceed to government account.
Though Abdulrahaman Usman who represented the Rector, Dr. Suleiman Umar, first denied knowing Nura Usman, he later agreed to knowing him when reminded of the implications of telling lies to the committee while on oath.