The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Ken Saro Wiwa Polytechnic (KENPOLY) Chapter Bori, Rivers Sate, has appreciated three of its members who retired from the polytechnic recently with N1 million each.
The union presented the gift during its end-of-year congress meeting held at the polytechnic convocation arena in Bori, the capital of Ogoni.
They also presented an Excellence Award to the Acting Rector, Dr. Georgewill Onengiye.
Presiding over the congress, Comrade Ferry Gberegbe, ASUP chairman KENPOLY chapter, said the essence of the meeting was to reconcile all deliberations at committee levels, assess the performance of the union, and honour retiring members for their contributions to the union’s success.
Gberegbe said the most important reason while ASUP chose to honour its retirees was to show that the issue of welfare is paramount to the union.
“It has been one of ASUP’s rituals; and we have decided not to abandon it. This year only three member of the union are retiring. Though we don’t have enough to do this but we have no option but to honour them. This is our own way of saying goodbye,” he said.
He called on the Rivers State government to review the laws of the polytechnic to make the school more successful.
Gberegbe said: “One of the reasons for this meeting is to thank God that the fight we started on the issue of internal rectorship came to pass. We are also celebrating the renaming of the school by Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, but we want the laws of the Polytechnic, made since 1989, to be reviewed.”
He also urged the Ag. Rector to address welfare issues.
“We are calling on the Acting Rector to prioritize the issue of promotion and worker’s welfare. We have also cautioned our members to address the issue of their productivity. The union can proudly say that they have an intelligent and open minded Rector that is willing to work with everybody,” he said.
Reacting to the award, one of the recipients, Mr Rowland Siminialaye, thanked the union for the parting gift.
“I want to thank God that today my colleagues have decided to appreciate and honour us. It is something I will not forget. I joined the polytechnic five years after its establishment. We did our best to ensure that the school is where it is today. To be frank I am humbled with the union’s gesture,” he said.