The Governing Council of Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Aleibiri, has defended the reappointment of Dr Wisdom Clinton Soreh as Rector, insisting that the decision was based on his performance, the developmental progress of the institution and provisions of the Bayelsa State Polytechnic Establishment Law, 2014.
The Council’s position came amid an escalating disagreement with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), which has rejected the reappointment and issued a 14-day ultimatum demanding its reversal.
ASUP had argued that the process should involve an open advertisement and competitive selection, insisting that the Governing Council should not recommend a single candidate to the governor without following what the union described as due process.
But in a statement signed by its Chairman, DIG Mike Odogu Zuokumor (Rtd.), the Governing Council said Soreh’s reappointment followed a careful assessment of the Polytechnic’s development and was subsequently subjected to legal review before approval by Governor Douye Diri, who is also the Visitor to the institution.
The Council said the present Governing Council was inaugurated on June 15, 2026, and visited the Polytechnic’s permanent site at Aleibiri the following day to assess its facilities and development firsthand.
According to the Council, members observed extensive renovations, completed and ongoing TETFund projects, academic and administrative buildings, science laboratories, radio and television studios, mechanical and engineering workshops and other facilities.
It said the Rector also briefed members on additional TETFund interventions and development initiatives in the pipeline.
The Council attributed the progress recorded by the institution to Soreh’s leadership, citing his role in the relocation of the Polytechnic from Elebele to its permanent site, infrastructural expansion, academic development and accreditation of more than 10 programmes.
It said the Council Chairman had firsthand knowledge of the institution’s development, having served as chairman of its second Governing Council from the early years of its operation.
The Council said Soreh disclosed during its visit that his tenure was nearing completion and that he had attained the retirement age of 65.
Rather than viewing the disclosure as an automatic barrier to his reappointment, the Council said it considered whether an immediate change in leadership could disrupt ongoing projects and developmental programmes.
An emergency Council meeting was subsequently held on June 17, with 15 of the 16 members in attendance.
The Council said it rated Soreh’s performance as excellent and unanimously recommended him for another four-year term.
It cited Section 8 of the Bayelsa State Polytechnic Establishment Law, 2014, as the legal basis for its decision, arguing that the law provides for a four-year tenure for a rector and permits reappointment for one further four-year term.
The Council further maintained that the provision does not expressly prescribe a specific age limit for the office of rector or state that retirement status automatically disqualifies an individual from reappointment.
It said Soreh’s age was disclosed in its recommendation to the Governor and was therefore not concealed.
The Council also said Governor Diri was already familiar with the Polytechnic’s development, having attended its maiden combined convocation ceremony on May 23, 2026, where he commissioned projects and expressed satisfaction with the institution’s progress.
It said the Governor nevertheless referred the Council’s recommendation and relevant documents to the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice for legal review before approving the reappointment.
According to the Council, other legal authorities were also consulted and the advice obtained affirmed that the relevant provisions permitted the reappointment.
The Council’s defence comes against the backdrop of ASUP’s rejection of the process.
The ASUP chairman, Dr Frank Ogbomah, in an interview, maintained that the position of rector should have been advertised and subjected to a competitive selection process.
Ogbomah argued that the law did not empower the Council to recommend a single candidate based on performance, insisting that once a vacancy occurred, qualified candidates should be given an opportunity to apply.
He also questioned the propriety of appointing a retiree to head the institution, arguing that such a move could set a negative precedent for the polytechnic system.
“If he knows that he is qualified, when the position is advertised, let him also come and contest,” Ogbomah said, arguing that the rector should not emerge through what he described as the “back door.”
The ASUP chairman also denied the Council’s claim that some academic staff had contacted it to complain about their inability to secure the rector’s position.
“None of my members have called them. That is propaganda,” he said, challenging the Council to identify any member who had made such a complaint.
However, the Governing Council dismissed ASUP’s demand for the reversal of the reappointment, arguing that the appointment of a substantive rector was a statutory responsibility of the Governing Council and the Visitor and not that of a trade union.
The Council said ASUP’s intervention amounted to interference in matters within the statutory authority of the Council and the Governor.
It also argued that the appointment of the acting rector was temporary and could be terminated upon the appointment of a substantive rector.
On ASUP’s reported threat to shut down the institution if the reappointment was not reversed by August 7, the Council expressed concern over the possible impact of industrial action on students, staff, parents and the Polytechnic’s operations.
It said it had held meetings with ASUP and constituted a subcommittee to examine the union’s concerns, but the discussions had failed to resolve the dispute because the union maintained that reversal of the reappointment was its only acceptable outcome.
The Council further expressed concern over reported threats of actions that could affect the Polytechnic’s relationship with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)
.
It warned that any disruption affecting funding interventions, programme accreditation or admissions could have consequences for students, staff and the institution’s development.
The Council said the Polytechnic has more than 400 employees, most of whom, according to it, are not ASUP members, and stressed that their interests should also be protected.
It said it would take lawful measures to safeguard staff, students, public assets and educational infrastructure and ensure that employees who choose to work are not intimidated or prevented from performing their duties.
The Council, however, said it remained open to dialogue and constructive engagement with ASUP, stressing the need to preserve industrial harmony and the academic calendar.
It also claimed that some members of ASUP had contacted the Council to dissociate themselves from the threatened strike, alleging that the proposed action was being driven by the interests of certain individuals rather than the collective position of all members.
The union has not publicly endorsed that claim.
With the August 7 deadline set by ASUP now reached, attention is expected to focus on whether the dispute will escalate into industrial action or be resolved through further dialogue.
While the Governing Council insists that the reappointment was lawful and properly approved, ASUP maintains that the process failed to meet the required procedure for appointing a substantive rector.
The controversy therefore centres on two competing interpretations: whether the Establishment Law permits the Council to recommend the incumbent for a further term based on its assessment of his performance, or whether the position must first be openly advertised and subjected to a competitive selection process.
ASUP Faults COE Governing Council Over Rector Appointment, Demands Due Process
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has faulted the Governing Council of the College of Education (COE) over the process for appointing a substantive rector, insisting that due process must be followed in accordance with the law establishing the institution.
The Chairman of ASUP, Dr. Frank Ogbomah, made the position known in an interview with journalists while reacting to a recent statement by the Governing Council on the controversy surrounding the appointment of a substantive rector.
Ogbomah described the statement issued by the Governing Council as “baseless,” arguing that the council was required by law to advertise the position and conduct a proper selection process whenever there was a vacancy.
According to him, the state government had earlier announced the appointment of the current occupant of the position as substantive rector, but the Governing Council subsequently advertised the position in line with what it described as due process.
“The Governing Council of Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, has advertised the position of Provost, despite earlier State Government announcements naming the current occupant as the substantive Provost.
“By this action, the Governing Council has followed the Law establishing the College. The advertisement opens the position to all qualified serving academic staff and ensures due process through application, shortlisting and selection.
“The step taken by the Governing Council of Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education affirms its commitment to transparency, merit and the rule of law — in clear contrast to BYSPOLY where the Governing Council have sought to bypass due process and appoint a retiree as Rector.”
He said the council’s decision to advertise the position was the appropriate step because other qualified candidates should be given the opportunity to participate in the selection process.
“For the sake of justice, equity and fairness, the position of the rector and the provost in COE should be advertised,” Ogbomah said.
He maintained that there was no provision in the law establishing the institution that empowered the Governing Council to recommend a single candidate for appointment as rector based solely on performance.
“What we are saying here is that there is no provision in the law establishing the polytechnic that authorises the council to recommend a single candidate as rector based on performance. It is not there,” he said.
Ogbomah argued that once the position becomes vacant, the council should advertise it, conduct the required selection process and forward the names of the three successful candidates to the state governor for appointment.
He accused the council of failing to follow the procedure and said ASUP was demanding that the process be conducted transparently.
The ASUP chairman also dismissed claims reportedly contained in the Governing Council’s statement that some academic staff members had contacted the council to complain about their inability to secure the rector position.
“None of my members have called them. That is propaganda. None of my members have called them,” he said, challenging the council to identify any academic staff member who had contacted it over the matter.
According to him, academic staff members at the institution were opposed to the appointment of a retired staff member to head the institution, insisting that such an appointment would set a negative precedent.
“There is no academic staff who says that a retiree should come and rule them. It has never happened in the country,” he said.
Ogbomah said ASUP was not merely fighting for its members but was concerned about maintaining standards and due process in the polytechnic sector across the country.
He appealed to the state government to ensure that the procedure prescribed by law was strictly followed, stressing that the governor had consistently presented himself as a leader committed to due process and the rule of law.
“We believe our governor is a law-abiding governor. He is a governor that follows due process,” he said.
He further argued that if the person being considered by the authorities was genuinely qualified and had performed well in an acting capacity, such a person should be allowed to apply when the position was formally advertised and compete with other candidates.
“Let them follow due process so that even the man who they claim is qualified or has done so well, let him also go and apply,” Ogbomah said.
He, however, questioned whether a retired person could lawfully apply for the position, given the requirements governing appointments in the institution.
The ASUP chairman said it would be inappropriate for an individual to become rector through what he described as a “back door” when the institution has several PhD holders and chief lecturers who could also aspire to the position.
“You cannot come through the back door or the back window to become a rector in an institution where you have several PhD holders and several chief lecturers,” he said.
Ogbomah also disclosed that he had forwarded a copy of the COE advertisement for the rector and provost positions, as well as a written submission he had earlier sent to members of the Governing Council, to support ASUP’s position on the matter.
He reiterated that the law, as he understood it, did not make “performance” a basis for bypassing the prescribed process or recommending only one candidate to the governor.
“The law does not specify performance. The law does not recommend or request the Governing Council to recommend one candidate to His Excellency,” he said.
“The law requires that when there is a vacancy, you must advertise. And there was a vacancy.”
He therefore called on all parties involved in the controversy to respect the law and allow a transparent and competitive process to determine the next substantive rector of the institution.
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