Students stranded on campuses, admissions threatened
By Gabriel Dike
The indefinite strike by polytechnic lecturers nationwide which took off on Monday has affected on-going examinations, marking of answer scripts and lectures in several institutions.
In some polytechnics, admission of new students has been put on hold.
Last week, the National Executive Council (NEC) of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) directed its 55 chapters in federal and state polytechnics to down tools beginning Monday, November 13, if the Federal Government fails to meet the union’s demands.
ASUP, on October 9, issued the federal government a 14-day ultimatum to implement outstanding demands which include NEEDS Assessment for federal and state polytechnics put at over N652, 591, 478, 614 billion, Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Scale (CONTISS 15) N20billion and short fall in salaries as at December 2016 N2, 637, 161,000billion and earned academic allowance at over N3, 221,487,017billion.
Other demands are non removal of dichotomy against HND holders, victimization of union officials, non release of check off dues, interference in union activities, non release of CONTISS 15 migration arrears, non release of visitation panel reports, delay in review of the Federal Polytechnics Act, non commencement of renegotiation of ASUP/FG agreement of 2010 and tardiness in appointment of rectors of federal polytechnics.
At Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), students were stranded in lecture halls as their lecturers stayed away, in compliance with NEC order. Congress of the union later met in the morning to endorse the strike.
ASUP YABATECH chapter chairman, Prince Adeyemi Aromolaran, confirmed his members complied with the strike directive and that the college management were informed, last Thursday, of NEC’s decision.’
ASUP National President, Mr. Usman Dutse, General Secretary, Mr. Anderson Ezeibe and Zonal Coordinator, South West, Adetunji Omobaorun confirmed to Daily Sun that members complied with NEC directive as academic activities were crippled nationwide.
Dutse disclosed that the strike is indefinite while the coordinator for South West zone, Omobaorun affirmed “the strike is total and comprehensive in line with national directive to chapters to embark on strike.’’
ASUP scribe told Daily Sun that reports from the 55 chapters indicated full compliance and stressed that the union did not grant any chapter exemption from the national strike.
ASUP chairman at Federal Polytechnic Bida, Dr. Umaru Saganuwa, said lectures ought to start for 2017/2018 academic session but that the strike has shut down the institution.
“Nothing is happening in the school. Every member of the union complied with the directive.”
Chairman of ASUP Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Dr. Husaini Yusuf, said “the compliance level of the national strike is 100 per cent” and that “the monitoring team went round on Monday morning and afternoon, to enforce the order.”
Yusuf explained that “the union informed their students in advance and some had started to return home,” despite being on campus for just three weeks for the first semester of the 2017/2018 academic session.