By Adebayo Fajinmi
The effort of the Federal Government to convene a meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) has failed as the Union has declared a nationwide strike from April 6, 2021 over what it called ‘’culture of neglect by government on issues affecting the technological education sub sector.’’
President of ASUP, Anderson U Ezeibe, disclosed this to newsmen at the end of the 99th meeting of the National Executive Council of the union at Hassan Usman Polytechnic, Katsina.
TOS News learnt that the industrial action was informed by six key factors affecting polytechnic education in Nigeria.
According to him, the issues include non- implementation of ASUP/FG agreement of 2010, non-payment of salaries and arrears of the new minimum wage in some state-owned Polytechnics, among others.
While speaking that a meeting with the Federal Government was held in October 2020 on some of the pending issues, the union however, insisted the outcome of the meeting was futile as government failed to implement the resolutions reached.
The union further listed 10 conditions under which the proposed April 6 industrial action may be called off to include: Implementation of the NEEDS Assessment report of 2014, reconstitution of the Governing Councils of Polytechnics, release of Promotional areas in federal Polytechnics, among others.
TOS News had reported that federal government had on Monday convened an emergency meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) due to a strike notice issued.
The meeting was scheduled to hold on Tuesday.
It was said that the education minister, Adamu Adamu, will meet with ASUP members at the education ministry headquarters in Abuja on April 6 which is today, following a strike notice over the federal government’s failure to implement agreements reached with the union.
