NBTE Revokes Abia Polytechnic Accreditation

Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, has lost its accreditation by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), over the non-payment of staff salaries and allowances for over 30 months.

This was made known by the Head, Media Department, NBTE, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, in a statement issued in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Abubakar said the polytechnic's accreditation was withdrawn due to its lack of commitment to paying its workers' arrears and salaries. 

According to the Media head, the management of the polytechnic and its governing council made empty promises to pay up the delayed salaries and arrears before the current development.

She stated that according to the board, the prompt payment of salary was an important element for quality assurance in the Polytechnics, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, adding that the Polytechnic was at risk of the suspension of quality assurance visits.

“The board went the extra mile of writing to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, informing him of the dire situation of the polytechnic but all to no avail.

“It is, therefore, with the utmost sense of responsibility that the board has decided to withdraw the accreditation status of the polytechnic to safeguard the quality assurance mechanism of the board.

“It is also to ensure that students are not left at the mercy of demotivated staff that may resort to under-the-table practices to survive,” she said.

Abubakar noted that the board had informed the leadership of the  National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), not to mobilise any graduate of Abia polytechnic for the mandatory national service until the institution's accreditation is restored. 

She added that NBTE also sent a notice of the withdrawal of the accreditation to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund); Industrial Training Fund to halt any official transaction with the polytechnic.

“Polytechnic proprietors across the country are also advised to take regular payment of salaries of staff seriously as failure can lead to loss of accreditation,” Abubakar said.