Nigerian Polytechnic lecturers condemn governments’ nonchalant attitude, vow to continue strike

The National Executive Committee of ASUP met in Anambra.

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) on Saturday urged the federal and state governments to meet the demand of polytechnics and technical institutions to avert collapse of technical education.

This is contained in a 10-point communiqué issued after its two-day National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra.

The communiqué was signed by Messrs Chibuzor Asomugha and Clement Chirman, the National President and Publicity Secretary of ASUP, respectively.

It said that ASUP would continue to engage the federal and state governments until their demands were met, notwithstanding the insensitivity on the part of the government.

The union demanded that polytechnic and technical education should be “properly and adequately funded’’, adding that government at all levels should stop paying lip-service to technical education.

“NEC expresses concern over the nonchalant attitude of federal and state governments towards exercising the political will to meet the demands of the union, which led to the ongoing nationwide strike.

“NEC resolves further that unless issues on the list of the union’s demands are met, the ongoing strike will be sustained.

“NEC appreciates the understanding shown by students, parents and guardians over the ongoing strike by the union and calls on other stakeholders to show similar understanding and work with the union towards strengthening polytechnic education.

“NEC condemns the burden of dichotomy against polytechnic graduates at entry and in career progression in public service. The union further calls for a level-playing ground for graduates from the various tertiary sectors,” the lecturers stated in their communiqué.

The communiqué said other demands of the union included the reconstitution of governing councils of federal polytechnics and the migration of the lower cadres on the CONTISS 15 salary scale.

Others are the release of the White Paper on the Visitations to Federal Polytechnics; the need for the beginning of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics and the worrisome situation in state-owned polytechnics.

The strike by the lecturers which commenced in April continues, the meeting resolved.

(NAN)