Lecturers in the public-owned polytechnics across the country has given the federal government a 21-day ultimatum to satisfactorily address their demands or risk total withdrawal of service.
They said that the delay in granting a dual mandate structure for polytechnics aimed at eliminating the age-long discrimination against HND holders is affecting the survival of polytechnics education in the country.
Also, the lecturers expressed concern over the delay in the passage of the Bill to enable polytechnic institutions award Bachelor of Technology degrees.
The teachers operating under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) lamented that the polytechnic education has suffered long years of neglect and setbacks resulting from poor attention by the government.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja after its National Executive Council meeting, President of ASUP, Shammah S. Kpanja, said that several issues relating to the welfare of staff and effective operations of the polytechnics in the country have remained unaddressed for years.
He listed 14 outstanding issues to be addressed by government, including the reconstitution a committee on the renegotiation of ASUP/FGN 2010 Agreement
Kpanja also accused states of refusal to domesticate of relevant portions of the Federal Polytechnics Act for state owned Polytechnics.
He said the Federal Ministry of Education has refused to reconvene the Special Rapid Response Committee to effectively address industrial relations challenges in the sector.
Kpanja said: “In view of the items listed above and the non-committal disposition of the Federal Ministry of Education in committing to genuine dialogue and lack of will to execute previous resolutions on some of the items, our Union’s NEC has resolved to issue a 21 days ultimatum to the government to address the issues satisfactorily.
“Failure to utilize this window may lead to the declaration of a trade dispute and withdrawal of services of our members across public Polytechnics and Monotechnics nationwide,” he said.
Among the 14 grievances by ASUP are the non-release of Circular by the he National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to cover the Peculiar Academic Allowance paid to academic staff across Polytechnics which is a component of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement.
The union is also worried about alleged refusal of the Federal Ministry Education to support the setting up a dedicated Commission to oversee the operations of the sector.
Kpanja said that currently, the allowance has been removed from the budgeting template and the Federal Ministry of Education.
He also accused the ministry of failing to intervene in definite terms on this subject. Non-Release of Arrears of the 25/35 percent Salary Review/ Non-Implementation of same in State owned Polytechnics.
He said the government is yet to release the funds required for the payment of the arrears of the 25/35 percent salary review.
Other areas of dispute include the arrears covering a 12-month period and is captured in the budget but yet to be released for reasons beyond the comprehension of our Union and her members.
ASUP president said that situation is worse in State Owned Polytechnics where some states have not implemented the salary review and have failed to implement the New National Minimum Wage.
He said that non approval of a dual mandate structure aimed at eliminating the age-long discrimination against HND holders has continued has continued to facilitate discrimination against polytechnic education and her products.
According to Kpanja, federal government has continued to delay the release of the second round of the approved NEEDS ASSESSMENT intervention, adding that the relevant committee in the Federal Ministry of Education has refused to reconvene to review the utilization of the first round.
Another area of discomfort for ASUP is the alleged policy of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) on outsourcing of Quality Assurance Activities in Polytechnics.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
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