By our Reporter
Earlier today,the Ministry of Education had met with the officials of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, (ASUP) but still yet,the union announces an indefinite strike over poor funding.
The union explained that the strike is long overdue and primarily because of failure of the Federal Government to address the sorry state of polytechnics and monotechnics and the expiration of the ultimatum issued since March 2020.
The action is coming less than a week after resident doctors under the umbrella of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) embarked on a nationwide strike over non-payment of allowances and other issues.
Declaring the industrial action at a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, ASUP President, Anderson Ezeibe, said academic activities had been shut down in all polytechnics and like institutions nationwide with effect from 12am on April 6.
Ezeibe noted that the decision to withdraw services was reached at the Union’s 99th National Executive Council (NEC) in Katsina State a forth night ago.
According to him, the union’s demands were communicated to the ministries of education, labour and others as well as to state governors but nothing was done about them.
Ezeibe listed the lecturers’ grievances to include non-implementation of the 2014 NEEDS Report and non-release of revitalization fund to the sector despite assurances since 2017.
Others are continued victimisation of union officials, non-establishment of a commission to bridge regulatory gaps in the sector, non-implementation of the approved 65 years retirement age by some state governments, claims of purported tax liabilities, and opaque operations in the deployment of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
He also listed non-release of arrears of promotion, renewed attempts to insert “offensive” provisions in the scheme of service and conditions of service, and alleged plans to force ASUP members in some monotechnics out of the union as their grievances.