From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Education has urged the management of Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic (IMAP) Lafia to absorb academic and non academic staff working on casual basis in the institution before considering new applicants.
The Voice reports that the state owned institution has received over 5000 applications for only 100 job vacancies advertised recently by management of the school.
The Chairman, House Committee on Education, Daniel Ogazi made the call on Tuesday when the management of the polytechnic appeared before the committee for its 2021 budget assessment in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
According to him, absorbing the causal lecturers and other staff was in the interest of Justice, fairness, peace and for the overall development of the polytechnic.
“On the issue of the ongoing employment in the institution, we want to urge you to consider and give priority to those casual lecturers and other staff that are working for a long period of time in the institution. Some of them are working under casual for five, eight, ten and even eleven years.
“And now that the government has approved employment, I call on you to absorb causal lecturers and other staff first before you consider fresh applicants, you have professionals and capable hands that are working for you before now, consider them first,” he said.
“I want to appeal to fresh applicants to be patient as the exercise will be in batches,” he said.
The lawmaker, while commending management for taking the institution to greater height, called on the state government to give more attention to the development of the institution.
He said the committee would continue to collaborate with government, in order to take the institution to the next level of development.
Earlier, the Rector of the Polytechnic , Dr Justina Kotso, while presenting the institution’s budget performance said the management under her watch installed solar power in the school’s library and ICT centre, as well as installation of CCTV cameras to improve on security and other academic activities.
“We have also strengthened our registration portal, in order to block linkages and wastages as perimeter fencing is ongoing in the institution.
“We have screened and have gotten 767 qualified applicants, out of which about 400 first class applied for the job,” she said.
Dr Kotso, called on the students not to allow themselves to be used as perpetrators of violence and crisis in the institution but continue to be law abiding for development to thrive.
She appreciated Governor Abdullahi Sule for doing his best in taking the institution to the next level of development, and commended the committee for their support and called for its sustenance.
The rector, however, identified funding as major challenge facing the institution and appealed for more funding to enable them bring new innovations to the overall development of the state.