The 15-day ultimatum issued by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to the Federal Government is set to expire today, on October 23, with the threat of a nationwide strike looming large.
ASUP had warned that its members would embark on industrial action if the government failed to address key demands, particularly the contentious new scheme of service for polytechnic lecturers across the country.
As the deadline nears, more lecturers have rallied behind the National Executive Council’s (NEC) decision to withdraw their services once the ultimatum ends.
ASUP Zone D Coordinator, Dr. Iloma Richard, told NAN in a statement on Wednesday that the government has yet to resolve the issues that led to the strike threat.
Richard pointed out that ASUP had initially suspended its planned strike on July 22, following the Federal Government’s intervention.
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The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) was tasked with reviewing the disputed guidelines, but according to Richard, no progress has been made since then.
“The strike was suspended to create the necessary environment for the speedy resolution of all contentious issues through the stakeholders’ engagement process. Regrettably, as I speak, no progress has been made in this direction due to the obvious reluctance of NBTE,” Richard said.
He also highlighted other unresolved welfare concerns for union members, warning that the government’s disregard for quality control in polytechnic education could lead to the collapse of technical and vocational education in Nigeria.
Polytechnic lecturers in Zone D, which covers the South-South and South-East regions, are prepared to withdraw their services as soon as ASUP’s NEC gives the directive.
“This position has been articulated by our national leadership and formally communicated to all relevant authorities, with a subsisting 15-day ultimatum effective from October 8,” Richard added.
The union has raised several concerns, including delays in stakeholder engagement on the scheme of service, the non-release of the stakeholders-validated Condition of Service for polytechnics, and discrepancies in the Federal Polytechnic Act and laws governing state-owned institutions, particularly with respect to the appointment of principal officers.
ASUP is also demanding the implementation of a 35% and 25% salary review for state-owned polytechnics, the release of arrears for federal polytechnics, the release of a second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention fund, and the immediate capture of members’ peculiar academic allowance, among other issues.
With no resolution in sight, the possibility of a nationwide polytechnic strike remains imminent as the ultimatum draws to a close.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
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