ASUP slams two-week ultimatum on Nigerian govt over pending demands

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has slammed a two-week ultimatum on the Federal Government over some unmet demands.

The ultimatum is expected to commence on 7th October and elapse on 25th October 2024, following which the union may decide to down tools.

ASUP President, Shammah Kpanja, handed down the ultimatum on Thursday, after the Union’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

He said these pending demands necessitated the 111th NEC session where members met to review the current status of engagements with proprietors of public polytechnics, colleges of technology, and monotechnics in the country.

Kpanja listed some of the grievances bothering the union to include alleged impunity and disrespect of clear provisions of the Federal Polytechnics Act, different edicts establishing state-owned institutions, and other instruments of governance in the sector.

He said this interference affects the appointment of principal officers in Federal and State-Owned Polytechnics as well as other items of governance in polytechnics.

He also indicated that the non-review of the contentious and suspended document titled “Schemes of Service for Polytechnics” and the non-release of conditions of service was posing great concerns to them.

He criticized the non-release of the second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention funds.

According to the ASUP boss, the alleged intrusion of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) into the regular functions of the Academic Boards of Polytechnics in the admission of Higher National Diploma students in the Nigerian Polytechnic System was wrong.

Lamenting what might snowball into industrial action, he said the non-capturing of the peculiar academic allowance of members in the budget for sustained payment in the planned post-IPPIS era, coupled with the refusal of state-owned polytechnics to implement the 35/25% salary review for members and the non-release of the arrears of the same in Federal Polytechnics, was most unfortunate.

Other grievances plaguing ASUP revolve around the non-release/resolution of the owed CONTISS 15 Migration arrears to members in the lower cadre and the exclusion of ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement renegotiation process.

Kpanja said the union, however, resolved that if the government feigns ignorance of the listed demands, it would not hesitate to mobilize members for protest.

His words: “Following the above-listed demands and pursuant to our resolve to continue to advocate for a functional polytechnic education system in the country, our union hereby issues a 15-day ultimatum as required by law, commencing from 7th October 2024, to proprietors of public polytechnics for these items to be addressed or face different forms of trade dispute declaration, including a possible withdrawal of service of members of our union across the country.

“At the expiration of the 15-day ultimatum, the union’s NEC will reconvene to decide a specific and legitimate course and design of action to address the issues listed.

“Zones and chapters of the union are to prepare members for necessary action within the 15-day ultimatum through congresses, peaceful protests, and media campaigns on the issues.

“It is our hope that the 15-day period shall be utilized by the government to address the issues and save the sector from an imminent shutdown.”