The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has reiterated its readiness to take swift action, including mobilizing its members for an industrial strike, if the Federal Government fails to address their demands by the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum on October 23.
ASUP has expressed its dissatisfaction over the unresolved issues surrounding a new scheme of service for polytechnic lecturers across Nigeria, which the government has yet to address.
This ultimatum was issued following months of negotiations, with many polytechnic lecturers across the country endorsing ASUP’s National Executive Council stance, showing a united front ahead of potential industrial action.
The union had initially suspended a planned strike on July 22, after the Federal Government’s intervention and a directive that tasked the National Board for Technical Education with reviewing the contentious guidelines.
However, since that suspension, no tangible progress has been made.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, ASUP Zone D Coordinator, Dr. Iloma Richard, highlighted the government’s failure to act on key issues.
“The strike was suspended to create the necessary environment for the speedy resolution of all contentious issues through the stakeholder engagement process,” Richard said, expressing frustration with the NBTE’s “obvious reluctance” to address the matter.
He also noted the government’s failure to meet other welfare needs of union members, an issue that has heightened dissatisfaction within the union.
Among the primary concerns raised by ASUP is the alleged disregard for quality control within polytechnic education. Richard warned that the continued neglect of this issue could result in the eventual collapse of technical and vocational education in the country.
This sentiment reflects a broader concern among polytechnic lecturers about the future of higher education in Nigeria.
Polytechnic lecturers from Zone D, which covers the South-South and South-East regions, are prepared to follow any directive from ASUP’s NEC to halt services once the ultimatum ends.
Richard said, “This position has been articulated by our national leadership and formally communicated to all relevant authorities, with a subsisting 15-day ultimatum effective from Oct. 8.”
The union’s grievances include the delayed engagement of stakeholders on the new scheme of service, the non-release of the stakeholder-validated Conditions of Service for polytechnics, and the inconsistent provisions between the Federal Polytechnic Act and laws governing state-owned institutions.
One key point of contention is the appointment of principal officers, which differs significantly across the institutions, adding to the frustration.
Other issues include the slow implementation of salary reviews, with a 35 percent and 25 percent review pending for state-owned polytechnics, alongside the failure to release arrears for federal polytechnics.
ASUP is also calling for the release of a second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention fund and the immediate capture of peculiar academic allowances owed to its members.
As the October 23 deadline approaches, polytechnic lecturers across the country are standing firm, with many viewing industrial action as the last resort to force the government to address their concerns.
