ASUP will not call off strike unless demands are met – Spokesperson

ASUP says the Federal Government is not willing to meet their demands

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, in Yola on Wednesday said it would continue with its five months old strike unless the Federal Government meets its demands.

The ASUP National Public Relations Officer, Clement Chirman, told journalists it was unfortunate that the Federal Government has not demonstrated enough will to accede to the teachers’ demands.

Mr. Chirman said the union had, therefore, decided to solicit the support of the members of the public in pressing home its demands.

“The attitude of government is a clear manifestation of government’s estimation of the importance of polytechnic education.

“It is this same perception that acerbated the discrimination and marginalisation of the sector and its graduates by both the public and private sectors of the economy,” he said.

He blamed the country’s slow technological development on government’s insensitivity to polytechnic education.

“We make bold to say that the critical state of the polytechnic sector today has significantly been encouraged by government’s attitude and approach to issues concerning it,” he told journalists.

The issues in contention included the migration of the lower cadres on the CONTISS 15 salary scale.

ASUP is also seeking the release of the White Paper on the Visitations to Federal Polytechnics and the commencement of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics, among others.

(NAN)