ASUP STRIKE: FG Meets Union On Wednesday, Thursday

 

The Federal Government has invited the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, for meetings on Wednesday and Thursday this week to proffer a solution to the issue.

This is contained in a notice of meeting sent to the national leadership of ASUP, through the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.

The first meeting is scheduled to be with the Minister of State for Education, Chief Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba, on Wednesday.

While on Thursday, the leadership of the polytechnic teachers will meet with the Labour Minister, Dr Chris Ngige.

Recall that members of the union have been on strike since last week Tuesday after the ultimatum they gave to government to address their demands ended.

The National President of ASUP, Mr Anderson Ezeibe, expressed faith that the meetings would yield needed results.

He said, “We have been formally invited for meetings by the government teams. Our demands are clear and we hope the meetings would be fruitful. They have constituted Governing Councils for federal polytechnics and that is okay by us.

”We want things done appropriately and legitimately too. The absence of Governing Councils has made some Rectors to become authoritarian and dictators. Also, they must resolve the issue of appointing unqualified persons as Rectors. The regulation is clear about who can be appointed a rector.

“The poor funding and criminal neglect of the polytechnic sector should be redressed. Nigeria cannot do without the products of the polytechnics for our technical and technological needs.”