GIFT EMMANUEL, Abuja
The Federal Government weekend urged the Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics to prevail on the striking lecturers of the institutions to accept the offer by government to pay the CONTISS 15 arrears in two instalments, which is March and November, 2014.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike who spoke during a meeting with the Chairmen of the Governing Councils of Polytechnic in Abuja said that the Federal Government’s offer also applies to striking Federal Colleges of Education staff.
A statement signed by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant Media to the Minister, disclosed that the two instalments of the payment of the arrears are for both Federal Polytechnics and Colleges stands worth over N40billion, that the Federal Government is ready to pay in March and November 2014.
The statement read, “at our exhaustive meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), we agreed on the two instalment payment of the CONTISS 15 and we have since raised a memo to the President to this effect.
“I took the risk of committing government because we are deeply worried over the prolonged strike. Thereafter, ASUP wrote to inform us that they have rejected this offer.
“Please, as chairmen of Polytechnic Governing Councils, we ask that you communicate our commitment to adhering to the schedule of payment”.
The Minister assured that all the processes were on and that the government was committed to resolving the strike.
While expressing Federal Government’s displeasure that students were at home instead of being at their studies, Wike noted that the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation was already concluding work on the release of the agreed White Paper.
He added that work on the Needs Assessment for Polytechnics and Colleges of Education was coming to conclusion.
Wike also expressed government’s commitment to tackling the rot in the institutions by implementing the report of the Committees.
