By BANNERNEWS Reporter
Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, have cautioned the Federal Government against deviating from the established process for the appointment of a substantive rector for the institution.
The students issued the warning on Tuesday during a peaceful protest to the Governor’s Office in Calabar, amid allegations of plans to appoint a non-indigene as rector.
They said the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of both the Federal and Cross River State governments to what they described as a violation of the local content and catchment area policies.
Speaking for the protesters, Stephen Etem said the Federal Government had already constituted a governing council for the institution, chaired by former senator Florence Ita Giwa, with a clear mandate to oversee the rector selection process.
Etem explained that the process commenced last year and culminated in a screening exercise, during which a Cross River indigene reportedly emerged as the highest-scoring candidate and was subsequently recommended by the governing council.
He expressed fears that the name forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Education for ratification may have been substituted, warning that such a move would undermine due process.
“Our concern is that an indigene of Cross River State emerged first in the screening exercise, yet there are indications that his name may be replaced. This goes against the principles of local content and the catchment area policy,” he said.
The students called on the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to intervene and uphold the council’s recommendation, warning that altering the process could threaten peace and stability in the institution.
Placards displayed during the protest read: “Respect Catchment Area Policy,” “No to Non-Indigene Rector,” “Uphold Local Content in Ugep” and “Our Indigene Deserves the Rector Position.”
Responding on behalf of the state government, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Intelligence, Goddie Archibong Akpama, appealed to the students to remain calm, assuring them that their concerns would be conveyed to the governor, who he said was away on national assignment. He advised the protesters to formally submit their grievances through appropriate channels, including the Commissioner for Education, while avoiding inflammatory language.
