Akwapoly: Ikot Ekpene boils over employment racketeering as youths threaten to shutdown institution
The atmosphere in Ikot Ekpene Local Government is fully charged following reports that the Rector of the State Polytechnic, Barr Moses Umobong has concluded plans to finally publish a list of new lecturers employed by the institution.
The kernel of the ensuing crisis is that the said list is dominated mostly of candidates from Onna and Oron LGAs with only a paltry 2 from Ikot Ekpene the host local government area.
A youth leader from Ikot Ekpene who spoke with MORENEWS.NG reporter on grounds of anonymity said the youths leadership had held several meetings with the Rector and Management of the institution on the need to carry the host local government along in employment.
Hear him,” we have had several meetings with Barr Moses Umobong on the need to carry us along in employment in the polytechnic.
He promised to consider our request. We have it on good authority that our request was ignored. Our people are not on the list he is about to publish. We are waiting for him to publish that list so that we let him know that the institution is in Ikot Ekpene and not Onna. We can not be scammed again ” he fumed.
He said even the elders of the area would not be able to contend their protest when it eventually begins.
Another youth from the area said he was surprised that the Rector is taking Ikot Ekpene people for a ride.
In his words,” I am surprised that the Rector that assured us that the victimization of the past shall not repeat itself is the one doing this. We will wait and see him publish the list first. Last employment, they employed Ikot Ekpene people only as cleaners and labourers and now he wants to do it again.
Information available to our reporter is that the youths of Ikot Ekpene may shutdown the institution in the event that their people are not employed in the recruitment exercise conducted by the polytechnic.
A senior Lecturer in the polytechnic told this paper that the so called recruitment in the polytechnic was not healthy and was not done based on merit.
He said the Governor’s name is being used to bring in unqualified people into the institution.
He said other stakeholders are denied conventional slots with claims that the Governor is controlling everything.
He queried why candidates from Onna are the ones occupying the list at the expense of Ikot Ekpene as the host local government area.
