The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Zone C, comprising South-West and Kwara states, on Monday, condemned the undue exercise of oversight function and interference of the National Board for Technical Education concerning the admission of students into the polytechnics in the country.
The leadership of ASUP equally faulted the government’s silence over the 15-day strike ultimatum issued last week to address some of the issues affecting the polytechnic education in the country.
The union urged its members to get set for the struggle ahead, should the government fail to respond to its demands by Friday when the ultimatum would have lapsed.
The ASUP Coordinator of Zone C, Adekunle Masopa, disclosed this at a press briefing held at Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu Igbo.
Masopa said it was unfair for the government to have kept mute since last week when the union issued the ultimatum, saying that the lecturers would not have to be blamed should they decide to embark on strike at the expiration of the ultimatum.
He berated the government for not showing enough support for the polytechnic education which has the mandate and capacity to drive the technological advancement of the country.
He said that issues of concern to the unions included the failure of the NBTE to comply with resolutions reached in July 2024 between it and ASUP on the contentious reviewed scheme of service, undue oversight function and usurpation of the power vested on the Academic Board of various institutions by NBTE, concerning the admission of students into the Higher National Diploma programmes.
Masopa said that to avert this looming strike “The government must resume active duty and commitment to the resolutions of the tripartite meeting held in July 2024 on 2023 reviewed scheme of service.
“There must be immediate implementation of the 25/35 per cent consequential salary adjustment in state polytechnics from January 2023 as well as payment of the one-year arrears of this salary adjustment to federal institutions without further delay.
”ASUP requests NBTE to desist from usurping the power of statutory bodies, particularly the academic board, concerning admission of students at any level.
Immediate payment of all outstanding promotion arrears.”
Masopa disclosed that according to the directive of the NEC of ASUP, the union should begin to sensitise its members to the imminent strike.
Present at the meeting were chairmen of both federal and state-owned polytechnics from Southwest and Kwara states.