Strike Continues, Says ASUP President

*Meets with minister

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of
Polytechnics (ASUP), Mr. Anderson Ezeibe, has stated that the
strike by the union which commenced 12 midnight of April 6 still
continues despite meeting with the federal government.

The ASUP president, who stated this on Tuesday at the Federal
Ministry of Education after the union’s meeting with the minister,
Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the strike has not been suspended as it is
just a few hours old, adding that meeting with the minister is just
the beginning of a resolution and until it has been satisfactorily
resolved, the strike must go on.

He said it is not too late to convert the strike as it is a
union that believes in dialogue, hence its ultimatum of 15 days
which was issued in March 2020, calling on the government to look
into the negotiations and do the needful.

“The expiration of the union’s ultimatum issued since March
2020, as well as the development of new issues of concern in the
sector due to the negligence of the government.

“Today therefore marks day 1 of the execution of the resolutions
of our union. The strike has not been suspended as it is just a few
hours old,” he said.

However, the federal government has said nothing is impossible
in reaching an agreement with the union while disclosing that the
governing council has been selected and will be inaugurated in no
distant time.

However, the minister stated that he will not go into specifics
of the document handed over to him by the national president, which
was a detailed brief of the negotiations.

He questioned why the Rapid Response Committee has abandoned its
meetings, and went ahead to assure the union that all points raised
will be carefully looked into and will be attended to.

He said: “Today, I will not go into specifics or give you any
answers. If I’m not mistaken, I have 13 points that you have read
out. The permanent secretary is not here, or else I would have
asked him why the Rapid Response Committee is no longer holding its
meetings. The committee can solve eight of the issues raised.

“For the governing council, I can assure you that it is set
already. We were just waiting for the break to be over and they
will be announced and inaugurated. All the points will be looked
into carefully and I give you assurance that all will be attended
to.”

The national president said the non-implementation of NEEDS
Assessment report of 2014 in the sector, as well as the inability
to release any revitalization fund to the sector despite assurances
since 2017 is one key factor serving as catalyst to the strike.

Also, the non-reconstitution of governing councils in federal
polytechnics and many state-owned institutions which has lead to
the disruption of governance and administrative processes in the
institutions since May 2020 is yet another, he said.

According to him, “This has also undermined the renegotiation of
the union’s 2010 agreement with the government as such was
unilaterally suspended by the government for over 2 years now. Our
union has continued to demand for the deployment of developed
capacity from the sector over the years in this process and need to
reconstitute the councils in line with the Amendments in the
Polytechnics Act.”

Other issues serving as bone of contention are the “non-release
of the 10 months arrears of minimum wage owed our members in
Federal Polytechnics and non-implementation of same in several
state-owned institutions. This is despite the presidential
directive for the payment of the arrears since December 2019”.

“Nonpayment of salaries in some state-owned institutions as our
members are owed their legitimate emoluments ranging from 5 to 24
months in Abia, Ogun, Osun, Edo, Benue, Plateau, continued
victimization of officials of our union as seen in Institute of
Management and Technology, Enugu, Federal Polytechnic Mubi as well
as Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo,” Ezeibe said.

He said the situation has degenerated to the alleged clamping
down and brazen illegal seizure of the properties of its union by
the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Nassarawa.

While calling for the establishment of a commission for the
sector in order to bridge the gaps in regulatory activities, as
well as match the expansion of the sector, while positioning the
institutions towards fulfillment of their mandate to the country,
the ASUP president said the non-implementation of the approved 65
years retirement age in the sector by some state governments,
notably Kano, as well as the continued appointment of unqualified
persons as rectors of polytechnics in some states must be
addressed.

*Meets with minister

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of
Polytechnics (ASUP), Mr. Anderson Ezeibe, has stated that the
strike by the union which commenced 12 midnight of April 6 still
continues despite meeting with the federal government.

The ASUP president, who stated this on Tuesday at the Federal
Ministry of Education after the union’s meeting with the minister,
Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the strike has not been suspended as it is
just a few hours old, adding that meeting with the minister is just
the beginning of a resolution and until it has been satisfactorily
resolved, the strike must go on.

He said it is not too late to convert the strike as it is a
union that believes in dialogue, hence its ultimatum of 15 days
which was issued in March 2020, calling on the government to look
into the negotiations and do the needful.

“The expiration of the union’s ultimatum issued since March
2020, as well as the development of new issues of concern in the
sector due to the negligence of the government.

“Today therefore marks day 1 of the execution of the resolutions
of our union. The strike has not been suspended as it is just a few
hours old,” he said.

However, the federal government has said nothing is impossible
in reaching an agreement with the union while disclosing that the
governing council has been selected and will be inaugurated in no
distant time.

However, the minister stated that he will not go into specifics
of the document handed over to him by the national president, which
was a detailed brief of the negotiations.

He questioned why the Rapid Response Committee has abandoned its
meetings, and went ahead to assure the union that all points raised
will be carefully looked into and will be attended to.

He said: “Today, I will not go into specifics or give you any
answers. If I’m not mistaken, I have 13 points that you have read
out. The permanent secretary is not here, or else I would have
asked him why the Rapid Response Committee is no longer holding its
meetings. The committee can solve eight of the issues raised.

“For the governing council, I can assure you that it is set
already. We were just waiting for the break to be over and they
will be announced and inaugurated. All the points will be looked
into carefully and I give you assurance that all will be attended
to.”

The national president said the non-implementation of NEEDS
Assessment report of 2014 in the sector, as well as the inability
to release any revitalization fund to the sector despite assurances
since 2017 is one key factor serving as catalyst to the strike.

Also, the non-reconstitution of governing councils in federal
polytechnics and many state-owned institutions which has lead to
the disruption of governance and administrative processes in the
institutions since May 2020 is yet another, he said.

According to him, “This has also undermined the renegotiation of
the union’s 2010 agreement with the government as such was
unilaterally suspended by the government for over 2 years now. Our
union has continued to demand for the deployment of developed
capacity from the sector over the years in this process and need to
reconstitute the councils in line with the Amendments in the
Polytechnics Act.”

Other issues serving as bone of contention are the “non-release
of the 10 months arrears of minimum wage owed our members in
Federal Polytechnics and non-implementation of same in several
state-owned institutions. This is despite the presidential
directive for the payment of the arrears since December 2019”.

“Nonpayment of salaries in some state-owned institutions as our
members are owed their legitimate emoluments ranging from 5 to 24
months in Abia, Ogun, Osun, Edo, Benue, Plateau, continued
victimization of officials of our union as seen in Institute of
Management and Technology, Enugu, Federal Polytechnic Mubi as well
as Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo,” Ezeibe said.

He said the situation has degenerated to the alleged clamping
down and brazen illegal seizure of the properties of its union by
the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Nassarawa.

While calling for the establishment of a commission for the
sector in order to bridge the gaps in regulatory activities, as
well as match the expansion of the sector, while positioning the
institutions towards fulfillment of their mandate to the country,
the ASUP president said the non-implementation of the approved 65
years retirement age in the sector by some state governments,
notably Kano, as well as the continued appointment of unqualified
persons as rectors of polytechnics in some states must be
addressed.