Education minister summons rector, unions over polytechnic dispute

Nathan Tamarapreye. Yenagoa

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alauda, has summoned parties to the industrial dispute that left the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State shut since July 11, to a meeting on September 29.

It was learnt over the weekend that the chairmen and secretaries of the three unions in the polytechnics, the rector, and the Governing Council chairman are expected to attend the meeting.

The invited unions are the Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics; the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

The meeting followed a joint petition to the minister regarding the suspension of a governing council meeting to resolve the labour dispute due to concerns about security.

The workers had in the petition submitted that the claim of insecurity was a ploy to avert a pending probe of allegations by the rector, as there was no security threat in Bayelsa State to warrant suspension when the council members were already in town for the meeting.

The unions at the Polytechnic had said that only the suspension, pending investigation of the Rector, Dr Agbabiaka Lukman, will guarantee industrial harmony to the institution.

The workers had kept the institution under lock for alleged violation of the Polytechnic Act by the Rector, who took the three unions to court over labour disputes, whereas the governing council was statutorily mandated under the Act to handle labour-related matters.

When contacted for an update on the face-off, Mr Nimizuo Pereseigha, Public Relations Officer of Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, declined to comment.