The 15-day ultimatum issued by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to the Federal Government, demanding the resolution of pressing issues concerning the service scheme for polytechnic lecturers, is set to expire on October 23.
With the deadline fast approaching, more lecturers have rallied behind the ASUP National Executive Council’s (NEC) position, preparing to withdraw their services if their demands remain unmet.
Dr. Iloma Richard, ASUP’s Zone D Coordinator, expressed deep frustration in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, revealing that the government had yet to make progress in addressing the contentious new service scheme, which threatens the stability of polytechnic education.
According to Richard, ASUP initially suspended its planned strike on July 22, following the Federal Government’s intervention, which tasked the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) with reviewing the disputed guidelines.
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“The strike was put on hold to create a conducive environment for dialogue and a speedy resolution through stakeholder engagement,” said Richard. “Unfortunately, no meaningful progress has been made, largely due to NBTE’s reluctance to move forward.”
The union is also frustrated by what it sees as the government’s lack of urgency in addressing broader welfare concerns for polytechnic lecturers, a situation Richard believes threatens the quality and future of technical and vocational education in Nigeria.
He warned that continued neglect of these issues would result in a deterioration of polytechnic education across the country.
The contentious points include the delayed implementation of the new scheme of service, the non-release of a stakeholders-validated Condition of Service, and inconsistencies in the Federal Polytechnic Act, especially regarding the appointment of principal officers.
ASUP also raised concerns about the delayed salary review for state-owned polytechnics and the release of arrears for federal polytechnics.
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ASUP’s NEC has made its position clear to all relevant authorities, issuing a 15-day ultimatum effective from October 8. Richard reaffirmed that polytechnic lecturers in Zone D—which covers the South-South and South-East regions—are ready to join the industrial action once the directive is issued.
The union is also pressing for the release of a second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention fund and the immediate inclusion of members’ peculiar academic allowances in the budget.
As the clock ticks down to the deadline, tension is rising in polytechnic institutions across the country.
The government’s response in the coming days will determine whether the nation’s polytechnics will face another disruptive strike, further complicating the educational calendar and potentially worsening the crisis in technical education.