By Abuja, Nigeria – The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in Abuja issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government on Friday, August 15, urging it to address a number of unresolved issues impacting the polytechnic education sector. The union cautioned that failure to respond could lead to industrial action. A primary demand from the union is the establishment of a National Polytechnics Commission, akin to those that govern universities and colleges of education. ASUP expressed its dissatisfaction with the current legislative process necessary for the creation of the commission.
Comrade Shammah Kpanja, President of ASUP, called upon the Federal Ministry of Education to accelerate the submission of the executive bill to the National Assembly. He also condemned the continued engagement of external consultants for accreditation processes in polytechnics, raising concerns regarding the qualifications and background of certain contractors involved.
Polytechnic lecturers, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, have given the federal government a 21-day ultimatum to meet its series of unresolved issues affecting the polytechnic education sector.
The President also expressed concern over the economic challenges faced by polytechnic lecturers and reproached the government for its failure to meet obligations outlined in the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement. These obligations include the disbursement of the Peculiar Academic Allowance and the comprehensive implementation of the 25-35% salary review, which ASUP asserts has not yet been actioned despite its inclusion in the national budget. The union additionally highlighted the removal of certain allowances from the federal budget and what it described as insufficient follow-up from relevant bodies, including the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Federal Ministry of Education.
ASUP indicated that the circumstances are particularly dire in state-owned polytechnics, where the implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage is still pending in numerous states. The union also expressed disappointment regarding the delay in disbursing the second tranche of the approved NEEDS Assessment intervention fund, noting that a review of the utilisation of the first tranche has yet to occur. The leadership of ASUP warned, “Should these issues remain unresolved, the union may be compelled to declare a trade dispute and withdraw services across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide.”
