Polytechnics: ASUP vows to continue strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has vowed to continue with the six months old strike.

At the end of its 48th Zonal Conference in Yola, Adamawa State capital, ASUP directed all its affiliates that have not joined the strike to do so with immediate effect.

ASUP, in an address delivered by its president, Comrade C.B Asomugha, condemned the Federal Government for its nonchalant attitude to polytechnic education in Nigeria.

The ASUP president, who spoke through Comrade Clement Chairman, its National Public Relations Officer, said the six months strike embarked upon by the union was to press home their legitimate demands.

'Regrettably, however, government has neither shown concern over the repercussions of this action nor has it been worried that the polytechnic sector which is largely responsible for the training of technical manpower needs of the nation is in disarray,' he said.

The ASUP president said the history of the union's struggle, which led to the current strike, was long as far back as February 2012, when the union brought the issues in contention to government's attention.

According to him, the 11 points demand of the union included the continued discrimination against polytechnic graduates in the public service and labour market in the country, the non-release of the white paper on the visitations to federal polytechnics, the non-establishment of a national polytechnics commission (NPC) and the continued recognition of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) as a regulatory body for polytechnics.