Union threatens to shut down Nuhu Bamaili Polytechnic over insecurity challenges

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The in-house unions of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria, Kaduna State, have threatened to withdraw their services over the planned withdrawal of military and other security personnel around the institution.
Comrade Usman-Shehu Sulaiman, Chairman of
the Academic Staff Union of the Polytechnics (ASUP) Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Chapter disclosed this during a joint press conference by the unions in Zaria, yesterday.
Sulaiman said the press conference was to inform the state government, management, parents, and other key stakeholders on the security and other challenges hindering academic research, learning, and other activities of the institution.
He recalled that on June 11, 2021, academic staff, their families, and students were abducted at the school.
The abduction forced the state government to replace the school’s security guards with military personnel and some members of the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVIS).
According to him, the Military and KADVIS personnel at the institution were planning to leave the college over non-payment of their four-month allowances.
“The withdrawal of service by the Military at the school would put everybody at risk of abduction and other criminal acts as there are informants who will leak this development,’’ he said.
He added that the monthly overhead from the state government has not been paid since February which makes so many challenges spring up at the school.
He said the non-payment of the overhead makes the school delay exams and results presentations, provide identity cards to students, and weed control exercises among others.
The union leader said the school was on its 13th week of resumption, it is supposed to commence examinations, but currently, there is no booklet for such examinations.
“We will issue a one-week ultimatum to the government to address payment of the backlog of allowances to the security; if nothing is no favorable response, we will proceed to strike.
“We would ask our members residing at the staff quarters to find alternative accommodation; advise the staff residing off campus to desist from coming to the institution.
“Students would also be advised to remain at home as there will be no guarantee for their safety,’’ he said.
Corroborating, Malam Mahmud Aliyu-Kwarbai, Chairman Non-academic Staff Union (NASU) at the school, said staff members live in constant fear of security breaches.
“We don’t have functional security in the school, our security was withdrawn and replaced by security personnel from the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVIS).
“The KADVIS personnel attached to the school had left their beat because of the non-payment of their allowances, which led to serious theft and vandalization of school property.
“There was an instance where thieves cut the armoured cable of the school transformer in the afternoon at the annex campus of the school due to the withdrawal of services by the KADVIS personnel,’’ Kwarbai said.
He added that the Single Treasury Account (TSA) policy of the government has jeopardized the smooth running of the institution as the institution received an overhead only once since January 2023.
The school’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Abdullahi Shehu confirmed the development to newsmen, adding that the school management is working towards addressing the identified challenges.
However, Shehu said the Rector, Dr. Mohammed-Kabir Abdullahi has secured payment of the allowances to the military personnel at the school.