GIFT EMMANUEL, Abuja
THE President of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, (ASUP), Dr. Chibuzo Asomugha has accused the Federal Government of embarking on needless propaganda against the union rather than making genuine effort to resolve the crisis which has grounded the polytechnic education in Nigeria for eight months now.
Meanwhile, our reporter gathered that the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUP will be held between Tuesday and Wednesday in Abuja to consider the Federal Government’s offer to the Union.
ASUP boss, Dr Asomugha who confirmed the scheduled NEC meeting, however regretted that in spite of concessions made by the union for quick resolution of the crisis, the Federal Government has resort to propaganda instead of genuine effort to end the strike.
Recall that ASUP has been on strike since June, 2013 over failure of the Federal Government to implement the agreement reached with the Union in 2009, especially increase funding to polytechnic education and resolving the discrepancy between Higher National Diploma (HND) and University Degree among many others.
247reports also recalled that the Federal Government at a meeting recently chaired by the Supervising Minister of Education, Barr Nyesom Wike, with the leadership of the Union, offered to pay in two phases the N20.4 billion salary arrears to the lecturers accrued from CONTISS 15 migration.
We however gathered that the strike might not be called off by the NEC as the lecturers have vowed to continue unless concrete efforts is made by the government to release the N20.4 billion and commence the process of Needs Assessment of the polytechnics.
Dr. Asomugha disclosed to our reporter that the lecturers were prepared to return to classroom if the government had shown more commitment and stop playing politics with the strike.
He said the lecturers themselves were worried that the students have been at home but asked for patience and understanding as the struggle was to ensure that polytechnic is given the right consideration.
according to him, “the strike is not to kill the system. The strike is like medication so that the system will be better and if we don’t get d system better now, its going o be a problem.
”That is why we are insisting that the right thing must be done. We are actually asking that people should stop looking at when the strike will be over. People should rather start looking at when will the system improve”.
Continuing, he said, “its important to us and we desire it more than any other person that this system should not be distracted. We know that the strike is adversely affecting our system but it has gone to the point that it could not be reverted anymore if the government remains adamant”.
He urged the parents, students and other stakeholders to muster the courage to tell government the truth to its face and demand the responsibility from government to fulfil the contract it has entered with them concerning education especially Polytechnic education.
He, however, said: “NEC will consider the proposals of government. We have done our best. We were sent by NEC and I can tell you that our NEC is very reasonable, mature and open to dialogue at all times.
”If government has shown enough commitment, I know that NEC will consider it in its good judgement to call off the strike but if in good judgement NEC considers that government has not done enough what it needs to do, well, we cannot predict what will happen at the NEC meeting”.
Asomugha noted that the N20.4b salary arrears of the lecturers are yet to be made available by the Federal Government.
