From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Polytechnic, Aba will on Friday hold 11 years combine convocation for students who passed out from the institution from 2010 to date. The institution last had its convocation in 2009.
The Rector of the institution, Dr. Haggler Okorie who disclosed this in Aba while addressing newsmen, said 28,000 students would be involved in the convocation.
Okorie, regretting that in the past 11 or 12 years, Abia poly had not been able to hold its convocation for reason he could not give.
The Rector said by holding the convocation, Abia poly was trying to give back to the students the joy of attending the institution.
He said during the convocation, the overall best graduating student, a female with 3.88 GPA, would be honoured by the Visitor to the institution, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
“The best graduating student, a 2020 female student, with 3.88 GPA, will be presented to the governor for special recognition and honour”.
The Rector expressed disappointment that despite the fact that Abia Poly has capacity in terms of personnel, equipment and materials that cannot be found in any Polytechnic East of the Niger, students of the institution were being swallowed by private polytechnics springing up within and outside the state.
On the issue of salary payment, Okorie said, “I came here and met salaries being owed; we are talking about 33 or 34 months of salary arrears.
“It is not possible to clear all the arrears, but we will do our best, we are working round the clock to pay some months”, however, the Rector could not mention the number of the months he would pay out of the 34 months arrears.