The Kwara State Government has warned the managements of the state owned tertiary institutions to henceforth desist from illegal recruitment of staff or be made to face the full wrath of the law.

The state Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Alabi Afees-Abolore, who gave the warning in a statement on Monday said that he received a report that the Kwara State Polytechnic was making a backdoor recruitment in the institution which he said would attract sanction from the government.

According to a statement signed by the ministry’s press secretary, Mansurat Amuda-Kannike, such recruitment should not have taken place without the prior knowledge of the ministry, declaring that the ministry would not hesitate to penalise any school authority that is caught in the act.

The commissioner also said that the ministry had communicated its position to the affected institutions in the state, adding that all recruitment of either casual, teaching or non-teaching staff be put on hold until further notice.

But the governing council of Kwara State Polytechnic in a reaction denied making illegal recruitment of staff at the institution saying that it had power to make appointments on the needed staff

The polytechnic in a reaction titled, ‘Re: Illegal Recruitment of Staff by Kwara State Polytechnic’, signed by the Chairman, Governing Council, Kwara State Polytechnic, Hon. Yahaya Yinusa, and made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday, said that the management of the institution was not making any illegal recruitment but was acting within the power conferred on it by the act of the polytechnic.

The statement read, “The attention of the Governing Council, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, has been drawn to a discrediting story going round the town tagged ‘Illegal Recruitment of Staff by Kwara State Polytechnic’.

“The council wishes to disclaim this discrediting news about the institution, stating that all actions taken by it are legitimate and in accordance with the Polytechnic Law.

“According to Part III, Sections 10 (a) of the Kwara State Polytechnic Law, CAP. S12 No. 4 of 2006, the governing council is ‘responsible for the general management of the affairs of the polytechnic and in particular the control of the property and the finances of the polytechnic and shall also have power to do anything which in its opinion is calculated to facilitate the carrying out of the purpose of the polytechnic and promote its best interest’.

“Furthermore, Part III, Section 10A.(1)(c) of the same law under reference empowers the council to ‘appoint, promote, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over the staff of the polytechnic’.

“Please note that the polytechnic has always been following and always in support of the populace programmes of the AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq led administration in the state.

“Therefore, the council wishes to state categorically that all appointments, promotions, increment in salary and conversion of appointment were all done in line with the extant law of the institution as quoted above. Thus, they cannot be reversed as being insinuated.”