Strike: ASUP issues 21-ay ultimatum to FG over unmet demands

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address a series of unresolved issues affecting the polytechnic education sector, warning that failure to do so may result in industrial action that could disrupt academic activities nationwide.

Among the Union’s key demands is the establishment of a dedicated regulatory body — the National Polytechnics Commission — similar to those governing universities and colleges of education. ASUP expressed disappointment over what it described as delays in the legislative process required to actualize the commission.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, ASUP President, Comrade Shammah Kpanja, urged the Federal Ministry of Education to expedite the transmission of the executive bill to the National Assembly.

He also criticized the continued use of external consultants for accreditation exercises in polytechnics, raising concerns about the competence and background of some contractors engaged in the process.

ASUP reiterated its long-standing concern over the disparity in the treatment of Higher National Diploma (HND) holders compared to university degree holders. The union said this persistent discrimination undermines the morale of polytechnic graduates in the workforce and hampers the sector’s development.

Kpanja further lamented the economic hardship facing polytechnic lecturers and criticized the government’s delay in fulfilling commitments under the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement. These include the payment of the Peculiar Academic Allowance and the full implementation of the 25-35% salary review, which ASUP claims has not yet been effected despite being captured in the national budget.

The union also cited the removal of certain allowances from the federal budget and what it described as inadequate follow-through from relevant agencies, including the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Federal Ministry of Education.

According to ASUP, the situation is even more dire in state-owned polytechnics, where the implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage is still pending in many states. The union also expressed dismay over the delay in releasing the second tranche of the approved NEEDS Assessment intervention fund, adding that a review of the utilization of the first tranche has yet to be conducted.

ASUP voiced concern over the government’s current quality assurance model in polytechnics, calling for a more transparent and professionally managed process that ensures educational integrity and value.

The union also stressed the need to reconstitute negotiations on the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement, especially regarding longstanding demands such as the payment of CONTISS 15 arrears and promotion arrears — some of which reportedly date back to 2014 and 2019, respectively.

Highlighting what it views as a lack of progress on multiple fronts, ASUP’s National Executive Council resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government.

“The union may be compelled to declare a trade dispute and withdraw services across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide should these issues remain unresolved,” the ASUP leadership warned.

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