Nigerian Polytechnic lecturers to embark on 7-day warning strike from Monday

The union had previously issued a 21-day ultimatum which ended on 15 April.

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) has said, following the refusal of government to address the union’s grievances, that it will commence a 7-day nationwide warning strike beginning from April 22, which will thereafter be followed by an indefinite strike.

The union said this in a communiqué signed by its Publicity Secretary, Clement Chirman, after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union held in Abuja on Thursday.

The union added that it came to this decision having painstakingly examined the issues against the evident inaction of the Government despite the Union’s consistent show of maturity by its adoption of the path of peace and dialogue and its 21 day ultimatum issued on March 25, which expired on 15 April.

ASUP listed its unresolved issues to include: non constitution of governing councils for Polytechnics, Monotechnics, and Colleges of Technology; non release of government white paper of the visitation panels to the Federal Polytechnics; and non commencement of the NEED Assessments of the Nigerian Polytechnics.

Other grievances, according to the communiqué are the worrisome states of the State Governments’ owned Polytechnics, Monotechnics, and Colleges of Technology; the continued appointment of unqualified persons as Rectors and Provosts by some State Governments in their Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Colleges of Technology; and the failure of most State Governments to implement the approved salary package (CONPCASS) and 65 year retirement age in their Polytechnics.

The union said it is also worried by the continued appointment of principal officers on acting positions in some Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Colleges of Technology beyond the approved periods; the insistence of the office of the Accountant General of the Federation on the implementation of the IPPIS module in the polytechnic sector; the continued delay in the amendment of the Polytechnics’ Act; the review of the polytechnics’ scheme of service; and the non commencement of the re-negotiation of the Federal Government/ASUP agreement as contained in the signed agreement.