By MILLICENT IFEANYICHUKWU

The Joint Action Congress (JAC) of the three staff unions of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has faulted the approval of transfer of service for the Bursar, Mr Abdulwaheed Yeosuf, by the Governing Council.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that JAC is made up of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU).

The union representatives who did not want their names in print during a news conference in ASUP Secretariat, YABATECH, on Thursday, said the decisions were unacceptable.

They declared that the decision taken by the Governing council after the Federal Government had dissolved the council was against and contrary to provisions of the Public Service Rules (PSR).

According to JAC, one of the decisions taken after the dissolution of the council was the approval of transfer of service for the current Bursar from Federal Polytechnic Offa to YABATECH.

“The Prince Lateef Fagbemi-led governing councils met from June 19 to June 23 and approved the transfer of service request without recourse to the public service rules.

“The Bursar was engaged in 2018 and was on leave of absence, his tenure will end on Dec. 11, 2023. When it ends, he is expected to return back to Offa Poly.

“Going by public service rules, the Bursar is expected to return back to Offa Poly and work for six months before he can seek for transfer of service to another institution.

“For the transfer to be valid, there has to be vacancy (advertisement); even if there is advert, the council must look at internal qualified staff before considering external person for the post,” they said.

Also responding, a chairman noted that transfer of service can only be effective when the leave of absence expires.

“In the case of YABATECH Bursar, he is still on the position.

“We wonder why the council approved his transfer.

“When the Bursar was engaged for the college, we had 12 qualified chief accountants. Based on public service rules, no civil servant is allowed to backdate his/her transfer of service.

“The bursar started work in the college on Dec. 11, 2018, so his tenure ends on Dec. 11, 2023 and he has to go back to Offa Poly and spend six months before coming back if engaged,” the chairman added.

According to them, backdating of transfer of service is a breach of the PSR leave of absence and transfer of service cannot have the same effective date which is what we are witnessing in this situation.

“The approval of the transfer of service when the bursar is still engaged in YABATECH is abuse of the public service rules.

“We expect the Federal Ministry of Education to look into this issue and correct the anomaly, how can the council take a decision after the government had dissolved them?, the action of council is illegal,” JAC noted.

Recall that the PSR code 020503 on senior posts, says “transfer from one senior post to another within the federal public service require the prior approval of the Federal Civil Services Commission and an officer must have served for a minimum period of six months in his original department before seeking transfer to another department.

Code 020506 states that “no applicant shall be considered for transfer on promotion to any ministry/extra-ministerial office except in response to an advertised post.

The PSR (020506) added that the contemplated transfer should in no way jeopardise the promotion prospects of servicing offices. (NAN)

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