A dispute has erupted between staff and management at Nigeria’s Federal Polytechnic Offa over governing council meetings being held outside the institution’s campus, defying a federal directive. The institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) accused administrators of violating a Ministry of Education rule that requires such meetings to occur on-site, while management defends the practice as a pragmatic response to health and logistical challenges.
Polytechnic spokesperson Olayinka Iroye stated that a recent meeting in Lagos involved only a council committee, not a full session, and was necessary due to the governing council chairman’s health limitations. “Holding the meeting in Lagos, his base, was a pragmatic decision to accommodate his health condition,” Iroye explained, adding that travel logistics for members from northern regions like Kano were streamlined by choosing Lagos over the polytechnic’s location in southwest Nigeria. He emphasized that off-campus committee meetings were not unprecedented and urged resolving disagreements through “internal mechanisms of dialogue.”
ASUP Chairman Dr. Idowu Atilola rejected these explanations, calling them a “violation of an extant directive” referencing Ministry of Education circular DHE/POLY.42/C.1/VOL.I/07. He argued the policy applies to all council meetings, including committees, and criticized the cost-efficiency rationale. “Considerations like prudence and confidentiality did not count in their classification of cost-effectiveness,” Atilola said, alleging a pattern of relocating meetings despite awareness of the rules among senior leaders, including Rector Kamoru Kadiri and Registrar Gabriel Soko—both former union officials.
The union contends repeated breaches of the directive have contributed to ongoing tensions at the institution, urging management to “set the right examples” by adhering to federal guidelines. It also called for the administration’s spokesperson to avoid public commentary on union matters. The standoff reflects broader challenges in balancing regulatory compliance with operational flexibility in Nigeria’s higher education sector, where resource constraints and bureaucratic disputes often intersect.
