Polytechnics Will Remain Shut Until Our Demands Are Addressed — ASUP Insists

Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, says it will continue its strike pending when federal government engaged them to resolve their grievances.

This was contained in a statement yesterday by ASUP President, Anderson Ezeibe.

According to the union, it commenced the industrial action on April 6 to draw the attention of the government to the deplorable state of our public Polytechnics and Monotechnics.

Ezeibe said, “This is with a view to a reversal of the fortunes of the institutions and placing them on a strong pedestal towards meeting their obligations to the Nigerian people.

“We are determined to pursue this position to a logical conclusion for the benefit of the sector, the nation and in favour of the rule of law.

“While holding our position in the trenches of this ongoing engagement, we shall sustain the current engagements with the government particularly in furthering and establishing the gains of the engagements of the 6th and 14th of April 2021.

“Details of these shall also be made known to the public at the appropriate time.”

He said the industrial action, currently in its 10th day had witnessed strong compliance levels by chapters of our union across the nation

The union said that the workers’ action had led to some knee jerk reactions from the government both at the federal and state levels.

According to the president, the union had been involved in two out of three scheduled meetings with the federal government as represented by top officials of the Federal Ministry of Education as well as Labour and Employment on the 6th and 14th of April, 2021.

He said the third meeting scheduled for April 15 was postponed to a later date.

Speaking further, he explained that the meetings held on the 6th and 14th of April 2021 has resulted to some significant outcomes.

Ezeibe said the union would continue to press for appropriate documentations and for process led actions and practical steps for those demands requiring immediate action.

He, however regretted that just as the industrial action was on, government appointed new Governing Councils for all Federal Polytechnics to be inaugurated on the 20th of April, 2021.

According to Ezeibe, the union was disappointed with the recent appointment of unqualified persons as Rectors in five out of the six new Federal Polytechnics in the country.

He said the union viewed the appointments as illegal as the beneficiaries fell short of the prequalifying criteria for such appointment as stipulated by law

In the same vein, he said that Visitation panels had also been inaugurated for the Federal Polytechnics, despite the strong reservations by the union over the composition of these panels among other issues.