Polytechnic lecturers begin indefinite strike nationwide

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has begun an indefinite strike on Monday, April 6, 2021.

The union said this following the failure of the government to address the sorry state of polytechnics and monotechnics, noting that the ultimatum the union gave the government has expired.

It would be observed that the action is coming less than a week after resident doctors embarked on a nationwide strike over non-payment of allowances and other issues.

Announcing this at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the ASUP President, Anderson Ezeibe, said academic activities at the institutions had been halted as at 12 am, April 6.

He said the union’s demands were communicated to the ministries of education, labour and others as well as to state governors without any of them attending to the demands of the union.

Ezeibe listed the lecturers’ grievances to include non-implementation of 2014 NEEDS Report and non-release of revitalization fund to the sector despite assurances since 2017.

He said, “Our grievances also include the non-reconstitution of governing councils in federal polytechnics and many state-owned institutions leading to the disruption of governance and administrative processes in the institutions since May, 2020.

“This has also undermined the renegotiation of the union’s 2010 agreement with the government which was unilaterally suspended by the government for over two years now.”