By Gabriel Dike (Lagos), Tony John (Port Harcourt), Sola Ojo (Kaduna) and Lateef Dada (Osogbo)
Unless the Federal Government acts fast to implement the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), the two unions may carry out their threat to embark on strike.
The implication is that academic and administrative activities would be disrupted in the polytechnics. ASUP and SSANIP had at different times in April issued the Federal Government one-month ultimatum to meet their demands or face industrial action.
Already, the Nigerian University System (NUS) has been grounded due to strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) announced one-month roll over strike after two weeks warning strike, awaiting further directive from national leadership.
Students Union President, Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic (KENPOLY), Bori, Rivers State, Konwi Tammyegia Destiny and Speaker, National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS), KENPOLY chapter, Godwin Aminikpo, begged Governor Nyesom Wike to listen to the demands of the lecturers. Destiny: “I have appealed to the governor to use his good offices and magnanimity to adhere to the cry of ASUP, especially KENPOLY chapter where I belong.
“As we speak, some of us have paid our rents expecting that this year, we would finish our programme, especially those in final year. If such strike occurs, you can see that the landlords would not understand that strike is in place. They would still ask us renew our rent.
“You can see that some of us are aging. The beauty of all students is when you finish you will serve your father’s land. And when we are over aged, we cannot serve the land again. This is among the things that affect us.
“I also want to appeal, that if the government can find a way and address some local issues that the KENPOLY chapter has presented, like implementation of promotion, the ASUP will not join the strike.
“That is why I appealed to the governor. He has been as a father he should use his good offices as a former Minister of State for Education to help the students to complete their academic programme successfully uninterrupted.
“If the strike is allowed to take place, many students will be discouraged to continue with their education. There are some students who are training themselves and they have seen the loopholes of success.”
He also appealed to non-governmental organisations, parastatals and well-meaning Nigerians to help students by intervening to stop the strike.
Aminikpo, HND 2, Civil Engineering, said: “Strike affects the academic calendar. As a final year student who is hoping to round off in few months time, I am not comfortable with the strike. This is because the strike is going to drag us (students) backward.
“Some final year students are aging to go for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). If ASUP embarks on the planned strike, definitely, it is going to affect us, the student community. The strike is in the interest of the lecturers not students. It (strike) is not a welcome development.
“My advice and appeal to ASUP and Federal Government is to see a way to the implementation of the earlier signed agreement. It is improper for we, the students, to suffer for what we did not know.
“Also, ASUP members should see us, the students, as their own children and shelve the proposed strike, so as to make the student community to be happy with them.”
He appealed to the students to remain calm and be law-abiding, while the SUG appealed to state government to intervene appropriately.
Japhet Terseer Misa, ND II student, Mass Communications, Kaduna Polytechnic (KADPOLY), Kaduna State, said: “The ultimatum given the Federal Government by ASUP and SSANIP wouldn’t have been necessary should each party honoured agreement. As students, we are very angry when we read the news about the planned strike by ASUP and SSANIP.
“Things are fast falling apart in Nigeria. For example, we have been doing the ND programme for four years now. This is a programme designed for just two years.
The first delay was COVID-19. As soon as we came back, ASUP struck.
“Somehow, we resumed, hoping to graduate soon. Now, this ASUP and SSANIP strike is on the way. It is bad for us the students. The government needs to settle these issues once and for all instead of wasting our youthful time.
“My advice to the Federal Government is to engage these people and sort out things with them since they are not spirits. I am aware they have been writing the Federal Government intimating it on the need to do the needful.
“The Federal Government should know that these people have a lot of other people who depend on them for survival. Already, the insecurity is consuming us as a country. Government should not increase the number of people who may venture into crime due to their inability to earn a legitimate living.
“The Federal Government should not also forget in a hurry that polytechnics are helping in calming the nerves of energetic young Nigerians. The implication of the looming strike can be devastating if nothing tangible is done to prevent it.
“Again, ASUP would have made the Federal Government make a real commitment before suspending the strike ab-initio. This is not the best time to allow young persons to stay idle. They may be coerced into joining banditry and other crimes with immediate illegal returns.
“We are calling on the federal government, ASUP and SSANIP to resolve this lingering issue once and for all. The implication may be costlier than the initial bargain.”
Another student of KADPOLY, Hajara Sani, said: “We are not happy. I am sure no parent or guardian will be happy about the planned strike. Just like the case with ASUU, the Federal Government has failed to implement important aspects of the memorandum of action signed with the union the other time. We want to finish our programme here so we can move to the next phase of life. Enough of time wasting.
“The Federal Government should look at this issue executively. They should make sure they pay all the salary arrears of these staffs. I believe lecturers deserve better salaries and conditions of service.
“The short-term implication is on ours, we the students. But the long-term implication is on the entire country. Strike is always a serious setback to education. A student that supposed to graduate in within four years ends up spending six years or more.
“We are not always happy whenever we hear or read about strike. The government and the unions involved in this show of power and influence should consider us and the future of this country.”
A student of Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, Tope Afolabi, said: “If ASUP and SSANIP should embark on strike, they will waste youth time, waste people destiny. It might cause delay in one’s life.”
Another student of the polytechnic, Asiyanbi Blessing, said: “Government should yield to their requests and do the needful. It is what they can do they have the full capacity to see to their demands.
“It is sad for a student who should graduate this year to be delayed by the strike. Another year will be added and student’s concentration will drop while education system is collapsing.”
Investigations revealed that since the two unions issued the one-month ultimatum, government has not invited them for discussion. Stakeholders were of the view that the meeting initiated by the Executive Secretary; National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) was not enough.