The crisis rocking the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe in Bayelsa State, has taken a new twist as workers of the institution have declared that only the removal of the Rector, Dr. Agbabiaka Lukman Adegoke, will restore peace and industrial harmony.
The institution, which has remained shut since July 11, 2025, is currently engulfed in labour unrest. The staff unions accuse the Rector of breaching the Polytechnic Act and frustrating all attempts at reconciliation.
In a strongly worded joint statement issued in Yenagoa and signed by leaders of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) under the umbrella of the Joint Action Congress (JAC), the unions condemned what they described as “deliberate sabotage” of peace efforts.
The statement, endorsed by Deacon Charles Arogo (SSANIP Chairman), Mr. Etebu Ebifiye (NASU Chairman), and Mr. Woyengitonye Abadani (ASUP Chairman), accused the Rector of working against the Governing Council and deliberately escalating the crisis.
According to the unions, the Rector refused to fund the emergency Governing Council meeting convened on September 16, 2025, by the new Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr. Baba Gana Ajimi, who had just been redeployed from Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State.
Instead, Dr. Agbabiaka allegedly rushed to Abuja to seek political cover, where he was reportedly shielded by Dr. Ejeh A. Usman, Director, Directorate of Polytechnic and Allied Institutions, Federal Ministry of Education.
The duo, the unions claimed, jointly instructed Dr. Ajimi not to proceed with the meeting on the grounds of “insecurity.” This directive came after most Governing Council members had already arrived Bayelsa for the session.
The workers described the excuse as false and insulting, noting that both the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, Bayelsa Command had confirmed there was no security threat in either Ekowe or Yenagoa.
The unions alleged that the Rector is using false insecurity claims to suppress the Governing Council, while secretly sponsoring calls for the relocation of the Polytechnic from Ekowe.
> “This so-called insecurity alarm is a calculated attempt to discredit the Bayelsa State Government’s sustained efforts at maintaining peace and security. It is also a grossly ungrateful act, as Ekowe and Bayelsa remain peaceful, with contractors on site and major projects, including the Yenagoa–Oporoma road, progressing smoothly,” the unions declared.
They further described the Rector’s action as “a clear case of insubordination” against the Governing Council, stressing that the only way forward is his immediate removal to pave the way for a genuine investigation.
It will be recalled that the former Governing Council Chairman, Dr. Olawale Adebisi, had on August 6, 2025, set up a five-member panel to investigate allegations against the Rector. However, he was later replaced by Dr. Ajimi.
The unions expressed confidence in Ajimi’s ability to resolve the impasse if given a free hand, urging the Minister of Education not to interfere but to allow the Governing Council to carry out its statutory responsibilities.
Meanwhile, when contacted for an update, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nimizuo Pereseigha, who had earlier assured of management’s commitment to peaceful dialogue, declined further comments.
👉 Frontnaija News Platform will continue to track developments at FedPoly Ekowe as the workers’ demand for the Rector’s removal intensifies.
