Polytechnic lecturers commence nationwide strike

Polytechnics lecturers across the country have commenced on an industrial action from Tuesday, May 11.

It would be recalled that Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) had, penultimate week, threatened to shut down all polytechnics in Nigeria if the Federal Government fails to meet up with its demands following the expiration of a one-month ultimatum the union gave to the government elapsed, Wednesday.

According to lecturers’ umbrella body, ASUP, the action is sequel to Federal Government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Action (MoA) reached with the union in May, 2021.

Zonal Coordinator of Zone D, Mr Precious Nwakodo, announced the planned action at a press conference held at the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Monday.

Zone D of ASUP comprises of South South and South East regions of the country.

Nwakodo said the strike was hinged on unimplemented demands made by the union, among which are the non release of the N15 billion Revatilization Fund approved over a year for the sector to address infrastructural deficit as contained in the 2014 Needs Assessment Report.

“Following the discouraging response of the government to the one month notice of ultimatum which ended five days ago, 4th of May precisely, the NEC of the union will be meeting in two days time at Abuja to review the situation and take a decision on the planned strike,” Nwakodo said.

While explaining that the Federal and state governments have failed to commence payment of 10 months arrears of the new minimum wage after 3 years of signing the bill into law, Nwakodo said that many states of the federation were yet to implement the new minimum wage in the various institutions.

He further decried the manner at which the management of the Polytechnics and Ministry of Education have continued to take actions that are clearly in contrast with the provisions of the law.

The Zone D Coordinator called on the Federal and state governments to heed to the yearnings of the academic staff to avoid the planned strike action in the interest of the students and parents.

The industrial action by the polytechnic teachers comes barely 12 after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members extended their 8-week warning strike action by three months over failure of the Federal Government to live up to a Memorandum signed with its union.

National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUP had in March at the end of the Union’s 102 National Executive Council meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, gave a one-month ultimatum.

Arising from its an emergency congress, penultimateThursday, the ASUP Zone C, at the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, the union insisted that the Federal Government must meet up with its demands before the expiration of the one-month ultimatum.

Addressing newsmen, the Zonal Coordinator, Yekini Asafe said ASUP had suspended its 61-day long industrial action on June 10, 2021, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the government.

Asafe who was flanked by other branch chairmen from the zone said due to the failure of the government to meet their demands, the union may be forced to resume the suspended industrial strike action.

He said the NEC meeting scheduled for Abuja on May 4 to make the decision.

According to him, some of the items under the union’s demands include; the non-release of the revitalisation funds for the sector, non-release of arrears of the new minimum wage, and non-release of the reviewed nomination instruments for institutions and Managements as well as programmes accreditation among others.

The Zonal Coordinator also said there has been a delay in the appointment of substantive Rectors at Federal Polytechnics Mubi, Offa and Ekowe, all in Adamawa, Kwara and Bayelsa States.

He noted that Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, and Ogun State, have also been operating without substantive rectors despite the conclusion of the process for appointment in the affected institutions.

Asafe called on the government to address the demands of the union to avoid shutting down the polytechnics nationwide.

“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,” Asafe said.

The strike actions embarked upon by ASUU and ASUP also drew the sympathy of the Nigeria Labour Congres, which, penultimate week, declared its intention to commence on a three-day warning strike in solidarity with its affiliate members at the universities and polytechnics who have been on industrial action.

The warning was issued in a statement signed by the union’s President, Ayuba Wabba, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja.

The statement, which was made available to journalists, penultimate Thursday, was released at the conclusion of a meeting of the Congress’ Central Working Committee (CWC).

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and others have been on strike for the past 21 days, and the NLC had given the federal government 21 days to form a panel to settle the issue.

“This is also occasioned by government’s failure to honour agreements reached with trade unions in our universities.

“If at the end of the national protest and the 21 days ultimatum, the Federal Government fails to resolve the industrial crises in Nigeria’s universities, the Congress would be left with no other option than to embark on three days nationwide warning strike.

“This is in solidarity with our affiliates in the universities and with Nigerian students, whose future and wellbeing are being jeopardized,” the statement read.