ARREARS OF SALARIES OWED TO STAFF WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST SOON- PROF. EBOH:

By ONWUKWE EZERU

 The Rector of Abia State Polytechnic Aba Prof. F. Ezionye Eboh has said the Management of the school has put in place a lot of measures to store up its internally generated revenue to meet its financial obligations.

This measures he said would expand the revenue base of the institution thus sustaining its wage bill.

 The Rector who dropped this cheering news during the 24^th Matriculation Ceremony of the institution in Aba on April 12, 2018 said he inherited the arrears of salaries owed to staff from the past administration that over employed staff without considering the financial strength of the school and promised to clear the arrears very soon. “I want to assure every staff of the polytechnic that the issue of the arrears of salaries will soon be a thing of the past. Though there are challenges, we are rest assured that we won’t be swallowed by them. We thank his Excellency Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu who is genuinely committed to the progress of this Polytechnic”.

 The rector said that the institution is poised to fulfill its mandate as a technology driven school adding that he has concluded plans to commence a three month certificate programme for leather and fashion designers in Aba.

“It is expected that within the next two to three years, we will be training not less than ten thousand traders on basic business and management techniques. This measure we believe will help in the realization of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s vision of making Aba the Japan of Africa”.

 Prof. Eboh further said that the school has established the tertiary institutions students health insurance programme with an HMO,  Greenfield adding that the scheme will ensure that students get free access to basic medicare in and out of campus even as he reminded the students that the school abhors cultism, examination malpractice and such other vices that run counter to moral and academic excellence.

 Addressing the matriculants, the Governor of Abia State Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu who was represented by the Commissioner for Education Prof. Ikechi Mgbeoji thanked the management of the of the school for celebrating the 24^th Matriculation Ceremony despite the strike embarked upon by the academic staff of the school over nonpayment of salaries.

 He noted that no school in Nigeria and even abroad has survived without one challenge or the other and appealed to both the striking lecturers, students and management of the school to work in synergy in order to make the school stronger again.

On the part of the Government, the Commissioner said it was not resting on its oars to ensure that the good record the school was known for will be sustained.