De-accreditation of Abia poly exposes govt’s failure, says APGA

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia has said that the de-accreditation of Abia Polytechnic, Aba has further exposed the failure of the State Government in the education sector.

The state Chairman of the party, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, stated this while reacting to the withdrawal of the accreditation to the institution by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

The NBTE on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of the polytechnic’s accreditation over the 30 months arrears of salaries and allowances allegedly owed to the workers.

The development was coming barely two months after the National Universities Commission withdrew the accreditation to the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, over alleged “inadequacies”.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Umuahia on Friday, Ehiemere described the ugly situation in the two institutions as “the last straw that has broken the camel’s back.”

“Abia people have taken enough punishment from the PDP government. Enough is enough,” he stated.

Ehiemere, therefore, urged Goc. Okezie Ikpeazu “to show some decency by resigning honourably and apologising to Abia people for the misrule his government has foisted on them”.

The statement, entitled, “The desolation of Abia by the PDP misrule,” further decried the alleged collapse of teaching and learning infrastructure in the two institutions.

It expressed disappointment that Ikpeazu could neither maintain or improve on the institutions he inherited and did not build new ones.

The party also expressed concern that the institutions, which were efficiently run by past administrations, were undergoing serious existential challenges under Ikpeazu.

It, therefore, advised the Abia electorate to take advantage of the 2023 elections “to ensure that Abia is rescued from the stranglehold of PDP by voting for APGA.

“We are poised to restore Abia to the path of hope and glory.

“We call on the Abia people to remain steadfast in their support for APGA.

“A new star of hope is rising within the Abia political horizon.

“The cock is about to crow again to herald a new day, a new beginning and awakening for the Abia dream.”

Our correspondent reports that Abia Government had described the news of the de-accreditation of the polytechnic as shocking.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Eze Chikamnayo, blamed the development on mismanagement and overstaffing of the institution.

Chikamnayo claimed that the polytechnic was getting N90 million government’s monthly subvention, in addition to students’ fees and levies.