Members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Bida Chapter (ASUP-BD) have accused the leadership of the union of corruption and constitutional breaches.
The members, in a letter jointly signed by a former Chairman of the Union, Dr Victor Okolobah and a Deputy Director in the institution, Mallam Alhassan Kawu, said the Chairman of the union, Comrade Abubakar Ndasabe had allowed his personal interest and wishes to take precedence over constitutionalism in running the affairs of the union.
They alleged that since the emergence as the union’s chairman, Comrade Ndasabe had always pursued some selfish agenda which actually contravene the core aims and objectives for which the union was established.
“Our union was established to promote the overall interest of its members, but what we are witnessing today is an unfortunate situation where the Chairman and a few cronies in the CEC take decisions without recourse to due process,” they added.
According to leaders of the group, some of the constitutional breaches perpetrated by the union’s chairman include failure to convene regular quarterly congress and annual general meetings. It added that it was on record that almost one and half years into his tenure in office, he had not called for any congress meeting except a few emergency meetings which were always a one item agenda meeting.
They further alleged that the Chairman also failed to present an audited account of the union, adding that the Chairman had also been shielding his predecessor, Mohammed Sarganuwan who equally failed to present his financial report from 2015 to 2019 as ASUP-BD Chairman.
The group decried the Chairman’s failure to present, to the congress, the union’s annual budget, and financial proposals for capital project as required by the constitution.
The concerned members also alleged that the Chairman single handedly produced hand sanitisers, purchased low quality rice and carry out other activities which ran into millions of naira without congress approval.
They added that: “the Chairman has failed like his predecessor in terms of adhering to the provisions of the constitution and on declaration of strike by the union which has left the image of the school in bad light.”
The members also accused the Chairman of other financial irregularities including withholding of the union’s statement of account and lack of transparency in the spending of the union’s funds.
In buttressing their claims, the members alleged that the ASUP-BD CEC instituted over eighteen (18) cases in courts against the management of the institution wherein millions have allegedly been spent without congress approval.
They further alleged that it is his alleged high handedness that has led to a division in the Central Executive Council (CEC) of the Union lately.
They, therefore, demanded that the CEC immediately calls a congress to address all the charges, warning that “where your response remains negative and adamant to our demands, we shall be left with no option than to resort to constitutional dictates as demanded and provided for in ASUP Constitution and by-laws.”
