* Govt insists no cause for alarm
The Abia State governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Dr. Alex Otti, has advised Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to urgently do the needful, and avert a possible withdrawal of the accreditation for Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu.
Otti gave the advice against the backdrop of the recent withdrawal of the accreditation to Abia State Polytechnic by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE).
In a message posted on his social media handle, Otti said the action of National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) did not come to him as a surprise, saying he had on many occasioned drawn the attention of Abia State government to the lingering salary issues and its consequences.
The NBTE withdrew accreditation for Abia State Polytechnic as a consequence of non-payment of staff salaries for several months, which adversely affected teaching and learning in the institution.
Reports say that ABSU is no better in terms of regular payment of its staff, which is why Otti raised the alarm.
But curiously, the government described the action of the NBTE as embarrassing, and unacceptable.
It said: “Government views the decision of NBTE against the institution as very embarrassing and capable of destablizing the current peace and harmony existing in the State, as the fate of the students of the institution appears to be jeopardized by the said action.
“It must be placed on record that academic activities have been ongoing in the institution without interruptions; the teachers and staff of Abia Poly were not on strike and have remained committed to their duties,” the government insisted.
