Management crisis has enveloped the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa in Nasarawa State following the expiration of the tenure of the rector and the appointment of a deputy rector as overseer by the outgoing rector, Dr. Abdullahi Alhassan Ahmed.

Lecturers in the institution have decried the development, saying such a position is unknown to the Polytechnic Act.

According to the staff of the institution, Section 9 sub-section 5B of the Federal Polytechnic Acts 2019 as amended, provided that “the Deputy Rector shall act in the capacity of the Rector in acting position when the post of Rector is vacant or if the Rector is for any reason absent or incapacitated to perform his functions as Rector”

Speaking to our correspondent, a top management staff of the polytechnic, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the outgoing rector, Dr Ahmed has violated the Polytechnic Act for allegedly creating the office of Overseer and singlehandedly handing over the position of the Acting Rector to the Deputy Rector, Academics, Dr. Obarakpo Samuel James.

A circular dated January 2, 2024 duly signed by the Registrar of the Polytechnic, Dr. Munir Ahmed, and obtained by our correspondent, showed that Dr. James, who was approved by the 9th Governing Council of the institution on June 15, 2022 as Deputy Rector, Academics, is expected to serve as Overseer of the Polytechnic pending further directives from the Federal Government.

The circular reads in part, “Appointment of Polytechnic Overseer: Following the expiration of the tenure of Dr. Abdullahi A. Ahmed (January 2018 – December 2023) as Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, Dr. Obarakpo Samuel James, at a management meeting held on Tuesday, 2nd January, 2024, has been appointed to oversee the affairs of the Polytechnic pending further directives from the Federal Ministry of Education to that effect.”

Speaking on the development, a top management staff of the Polytechnic who pleaded anonymity, said, “Based on the Federal Polytechnic Act 2019 as amended, the immediate past Rector has obviously done the wrong thing by handing over to an Overseer which is not known to the poly community.