Polytechnics Lecturers To Embark On Strike Action

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) says it has given the Federal Government a further one-month ultimatum to address concurrent issues of Nigeria polytechnics otherwise it will review its suspended industrial action.

Mr Anderson Ezeibe, the National President of the union, issued the ultimatum at a press conference at the end of its 102 Executive Council meeting in Yola.

The union president stated that some of the issues included non-release of the scheme of service, delay in the appointment of rectors and non-release of arrears of the new minimum wage.

Mr Ezeibe said that many states of the federation refused to pay its workers according to the new minimum wage Act in their respective institutions since 2019 and failure to appoint respective boards of directors.

In his words: “We are deploying this medium to equally appeal to members of the public to prevail on the government to do the needful and avoid a shutdown of the sector.

“In choosing to extend the long-expired three months suspension period of our industrial action, we are convinced that the extra window of one month typifies our level of restraint.

“And consideration for our students and other members of the public even as we hope that the government will take advantage of this opportunity to avoid a shutdown of the sector.”

He urged the government to put more effort into the sector to be productive technical manpower development, while adding that the country should desist from looking for technical manpower outside the country, but the need for government to do the needful.