ASUP Threatens To Strike, Issue 21-Days Ultimatum

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has threatened to go on strike if the Federal Government fails to address the issues affecting the polytechnic education system in Nigeria.

The Union issued the strike warning on Thursday, during its National Executive Council meeting at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra.

The resolution was entitled “Renewed Threats to the Survival of Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: The Position of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics”.

Usmam Dutse, the National President of ASUP, stated that the structure of Poly which provides training and research services for the country’s ailing economy should be attended to.

Dutse said some of their grouse included attempts to forcefully entitle ASUP members into the Integrated Personnel Payroll System, non-implementation of the Federal Polytechnic Act 2019 amendment and confined victimisation of union officers.

The President of ASUP noted that 49 chapters of the union attended the NEC meeting out of the 52 chapters in the country.

He said others were ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement, renewed efforts at objectionable insertions in the review process of the scheme of services for polytechnics and violations in the implementation of the 2017 MoU signed with the government.

“Our union has reviewed the above situation as well as the refusal of the government to respond to several correspondences on the issues captured above, we resolve to rise up to the occasion once again in defence of the sector.”

ASUP gave the Federal Government 21-days ultimatum to attend to the issues listed by the union or risk the indefinite withdrawal of services of members of their union.

“As a follow up to this, all organs and chapters of our union are to begin mobilisation for engagement as we pursue this onerous task of rescuing the sector from imminent collapse,” he said.