The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has announced a two-week warning strike starting December 2, 2024, due to unresolved demands from the federal government.
The decision was made during ASUP’s National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Thursday. The union accused the government of ignoring long-standing agreements, with only one demand reportedly addressed.
ASUP President, Comrade Kpanja Shammah, said the unresolved issues date back to previous administrations, including that of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Our union’s NEC reviewed the current state of engagements with the proprietors of public polytechnics and related institutions. A 15-day ultimatum was issued to the government to resolve issues threatening the sector, but no meaningful progress has been made,” Shammah said.
He outlined the union’s grievances, which include:
Disregard for governance laws: ASUP alleged violations of the Federal Polytechnics Act in the appointment of principal officers in both federal and state polytechnics.
NBTE overreach: The union accused the National Board for Technical Education of interfering with the admission process for Higher National Diploma students.
Unmet financial obligations: These include the non-payment of arrears from the 35%/25% salary review and the delay in releasing NEEDS Assessment intervention funds for 2023.
Unaddressed allowances: The government has not ensured the continued payment of academic allowances in the planned post-IPPIS system.
Shammah highlighted incidents at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede and Federal Polytechnic Wannune as examples of alleged breaches of governance laws.
He said, “Following these developments, our union has resolved to withdraw services nationwide from December 2, 2024, for two weeks. This is a warning to the government to address the listed issues or face an indefinite strike.”
ASUP called on the public for support and urged the government to meet its demands to avoid a prolonged disruption in the polytechnic system.
“We hope the government will act to ensure a healthy teaching and learning environment in Nigeria’s polytechnics,” Shammah added.
