If the Federal Government fails to meet ASUP’s demands, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has threatened to resume suspended industrial action by shutting down all polytechnics in Nigeria.
This comes as the union’s one-month ultimatum to the government expires next Wednesday.
The Union’s National Executive Council, or NEC, issued the one-month ultimatum in March at the conclusion of the Union’s 102nd National Executive Council meeting in Yola, Adamawa State.
The ASUP Zonal C, which held an emergency congress on Thursday at the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic in Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, insisted that the Federal Government meet its demands before the one-month deadline expires.
The Zonal Coordinator also stated that substantive Rectors at Federal Polytechnics Mubi, Offa, and Ekowe in Adamawa, Kwara, and Bayelsa States, respectively, have been delayed.
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Despite the conclusion of the appointment process in the affected institutions, he noted that Kaduna Polytechnic in Kaduna and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta have been operating without substantive rectors.
Asafe urged the government to address the union’s demands in order to avoid the closure of polytechnics across the country.
“We are using this medium to also appeal to members of the public to persuade the government to do the right thing and avoid a sector shutdown.”
“We are confident that the extra window of one month typifies our level of restraint and consideration for our students and other members of the public in choosing to extend the long expired three-month suspension period of our industrial action, even as we hope that the government will take advantage of this opportunity to avoid a sector shutdown,” Asafe said.
Some of the Union’s demands, according to the Union’s Zonal Coordinator, Yekini Asafe, include the non-release of the sector’s revitalisation funds, non-release of arrears of the new minimum wage, and non-release of the reviewed nomination instruments for institutions and managements, as well as programme accreditation.
ASUP’s 61-day strike was called off on June 10, 2021, after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the government, according to Asafe.
Due to the government’s failure to meet their demands, Asafe, who was flanked by other branch chairmen from the zone, said the union may be forced to resume the suspended industrial strike action.
He stated that the decision will be made at the NEC meeting on May 4 in Abuja.
The Zonal Coordinator also stated that substantive Rectors at Federal Polytechnics Mubi, Offa, and Ekowe in Adamawa, Kwara, and Bayelsa States, respectively, have been delayed.
Despite the conclusion of the appointment process in the affected institutions, he noted that Kaduna Polytechnic in Kaduna and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta have been operating without substantive rectors.
Asafe urged the government to address the union’s demands in order to avoid the closure of polytechnics across the country.
“We are using this medium to also appeal to members of the public to persuade the government to do the right thing and avoid a sector shutdown.”
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“We are confident that the extra window of one month typifies our level of restraint and consideration for our students and other members of the public in choosing to extend the long expired three-month suspension period of our industrial action, even as we hope that the government will take advantage of this opportunity to avoid a sector shutdown,” Asafe said.
