We need N22m monthly to pay local allowances – Rector

The Rector of Federal Polytechnic Bida, Dr Abubakar Abdul Dzukogi, has disclosed that the institution requires N22million every month to pay local allowances of the academic staff.

He said the institution has entered into agreement with the union to clear the backlog which the institution has started paying.

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The Rector disclosed during the opening ceremony of a One Day Retreat on the restoration of peace, peaceful coexistence and understanding amongst the staff, students and management for a lasting peace in the institution.

“The institution required N22 million for the payments of staff allowances on monthly basis from the IGR in which we have agreed with the union to pay the backlog which we already started but the fact still remains that the sector is under funded and we want government to intervene in the matter,” he said.

Speaking on the purpose of the retreat, Dzukogi said the major aim of the retreat was for the stakeholders to be more enlightened and understand better, the policy trust of his administration.

He added that the participants would be abreast with the laws and acts establishing the institution as well as laws governing the existence of every staff hence the need for the participation of the Deans, Directors, Heads of Department (HODs) and Union leaders so as to pass the message down to the people.

The Rector however stated that since the October 2020 peace meeting between the management and the union held in Abuja, a relative peace has been observed in the institution, adding that the retreat will further add value in restoring peace because “they will be more enlightened and better informed for the disappearance ignorance in some quarters.”

In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion and former Rector, Alhaji Mohammad Shamaki Ibrahim charged participants to always dialogue in solving problems no matter the differences rather than crisis.

“It is better to dialogue, discuss, analyze and listen to take a better position, it’s regrettable for the longtime crisis that rock the school.”

There were presentations by the Director Legal Services, Ministry of Education, Grace Ekanem on Institutional Governance in Compliance with Enabling Laws in Government Agencies while former Director of the ministry, Dr H. N Oyekwere spoke on the Management of Institutional Conflicts: The Roles of Management, Staff and Students.