THE Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has given the federal government a two-week ultimatum to resolve lingering issues in the polytechnics.
The ultimatum, which runs from October 7 to October 25, 2024, was announced by ASUP’s National President, Shammah Kpanja, following the union’s national executive council meeting in Abuja on Thursday, October 3, according to a report by Punch.
Kpanja threatened that ASUP would not hesitate to mobilise its members for industrial action, including strikes and protests, if the federal government failed to meet the union’s demands.
The group’s president, while outlining unresolved issues in federal and state polytechnics, said one of the key issues was the alleged breach of the Federal Polytechnics Act and other related laws, particularly regarding the appointment of key administrative officers.
He called government’s attention to its failure to review the schemes of service for polytechnics and update the conditions of service for polytechnic staff, as well as the delay in disbursing the second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention funds.
According to him, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has been interfering in the Higher National Diploma admission process, which he said should be the responsibility of polytechnic academic boards.
He further expressed frustration over the omission of academic allowances from the national budget, particularly in light of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) changes.
While criticising the Federal Government’s delay in releasing the several arrears, he condemned state-owned polytechnics for failing to implement the agreed 35/25 per cent salary increase for staff.
Other unresolved matters, as highlighted by ASUP, include the payment of outstanding arrears under the CONTISS 15 migration for lower-level staff and the exclusion of ASUP from the renegotiation of the 2010 ASUP-federal government agreement.
“In line with our commitment to advocating for a functional polytechnic education system in Nigeria, we hereby issue a 15-day ultimatum, starting from October 7, 2024.
“If these issues are not resolved within this period, we will consider various forms of trade disputes, including a possible withdrawal of services by our members nationwide,” he added.
He further noted that after the expiration of the ultimatum, ASUP’s national executive council would reconvene to determine the union’s next steps.
This latest development is coming about nine days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands.
ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, in a statement on Wednesday, September 25, warned that failure to address the demands could lead to an industrial crisis.
He also expressed frustration over the government’s failure to address the lecturers’ demands, adding the government used “delay tactics” to deal with its members.
He noted that the federal government’s lack of commitment was affecting the nation’s university system.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M