The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Wednesday expressed worry over the non-payment of salaries of its members in 14 institutions spread across the country in the last ten months.
Mr Chika Ogonwa, the Coordinator of ASUP in Zone `D’ made the feelings of the union known in a media briefing after the emergency meeting of the union held in Owerri.
Loading ...Zone `D’ of ASUP is made up of all the Polytechnics, Colleges of educations and
Monotechnics in South-East and South-South geo-political zones of Nigeria.
Ogonwa who read the communiqué issued after the meeting named the affected institutions where workers are owed between two to ten months salaries to include: Abia, Edo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, and Benue.
Ogonwa who read the communiqué issued after the meeting named the affected institutions where workers are owed between two to ten months salaries to include: Abia, Edo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, and Benue.
Others are Imo, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Ondo, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun, and Nasarawa, noting that in spite the release of the bailout fund by the federal government, the state-owned polytechnics and colleges of educations in these states were still being owed arrears of salaries.
Ogonwa also stated that ASUP was equally worried over the refusal by government to implement the agreement she entered with the union after nine months strike which ASUP embarked between the year 2013 and 2014.
He said that ASUP might be forced to resume another strike at the expiration of one month notice given to government on Aug.22, if government fails to look into the issues raised by the union.
According to him, “the issues in dispute include: non implementation of the Needs assessment report of 2014, the conduct of needs assessment survey for public polytechnics and monotechnics and the review of Polytechnics Acts.
Ogonwa also spoke against the victimization of union officials and non release of check off dues and interference in the union activities by the management of Federal Polytechnic Oko and four others.
“Our officials are being suspended, sacked, and bounded by these campus dictators and this is the prevailing situation in Federal Polytechnics Oko and Mubi, Delta state Polytechnics Ogwashi-Uku, Adamawa State Polytechnics, and Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic Ikot Osurua.
The unionist expressed serious concerned on the situation in Oko where the maintained that the level of victimization in the school is now have negative impact on academic standard.
Reacting to the issues raised against the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Mr Obini Onuchukwu, the Public Relations Officer of the Polytechnics described the allegation by ASUP as misleading, noting that ASUP in Oko currently has two factions.
Onuchukwu described Prof. Godwin Onu, the rector of the school as `a union friendly rector’, and who would not have withheld the check off dues meant for ASUP if the union was not in dispute.
According to the PRO of Oko Poly, “the matter between the two factions are in court, and I hope it will not be prejudice talking to you, but all the same the rector cannot withhold the check off because it does not belong to him.
“The rector had made spirited effort to resolve the matter and the matter continues to deepen such that the matter is even threatening the peace of the institution’’, he said.
Onuchukwu said after due consultation in other not to have the place in flame, the rector decided to keep the check off in safe mode pending the final resolution of the matter.
He said that whatever is due the union as check off is intact, adding “Prof Onu had done a lot to encourage the welfare of both lecturers and students with the building of 23 structures and donation of vehicles to unions.’’
Onuchukwu described Prof. Godwin Onu, the rector of the school as `a union friendly rector’, and who would not have withheld the check off dues meant for ASUP if the union was not in dispute.
According to the PRO of Oko Poly, “the matter between the two factions are in court, and I hope it will not be prejudice talking to you, but all the same the rector cannot withhold the check off because it does not belong to him.
“The rector had made spirited effort to resolve the matter and the matter continues to deepen such that the matter is even threatening the peace of the institution’’, he said.
Onuchukwu said after due consultation in other not to have the place in flame, the rector decided to keep the check off in safe mode pending the final resolution of the matter.
He said that whatever is due the union as check off is intact, adding “Prof Onu had done a lot to encourage the welfare of both lecturers and students with the building of 23 structures and donation of vehicles to unions.’’
