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The Polytechnic in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, has been shut by lecturers as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) began the enforcement of its indefinite strike on Tuesday.
Students of the tertiary institutions told our correspondent that the leadership of the union stormed the institution gate and have prevented vehicular movement.
The development is a result of a declaration of industrial action by Anderson Ezeibe, national president of the union.
He announced this at a press briefing in Abuja, saying members of the union have agreed to shut all the Nigerian Polytechnics and monotechnics until their demands are met.
“Today, therefore, marks Day 1 of the execution of the resolutions of our union as already, academic activities have been shut down in ALL PROGRAMS run in Polytechnics and like institutions across the nation effective 00:00 hrs of 6th of April, 2021.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the following demands were communicated to the government through the Ministries of Education; as well as Labour and Employment and indeed other ministries where our members offer services through various monotechnics.”
ASUP listed one of their demands as non-implementation of NEEDS Assessment report of 2014 in the sector nor release of any revitalization fund to the sector despite assurances since 2017.
The teachers said the non-reconstitution of governing councils in Federal Polytechnics and many state-owned institutions has led to the disruption of governance and administrative processes in the institutions since May 2020.
“The non-release of the 10-month arrears of minimum wage owed our members in Federal Polytechnics and non-implementation of the same in several state-owned institutions.
“This is despite a directive for the payment of these arrears since December 2019.
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“Continued victimization of officials of our union as seen in Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu; Federal Polytechnic, Mubi; as well as Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
“This situation has degenerated to the clamping down and brazen illegal seizure of the properties of our union by the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa”, he said at the briefing.
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