Fedpoly Ekowe remains shut over union dues dispute

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) at the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State, on Saturday said that the institution would remain under locks until its four months union dues face-off is resolved.

The union had on July 11 shut down the institution over withheld June salary and non-remittance of four months union dues of its members.

The aggrieved workers locked up the institution’s liaison office in Yenagoa, the main campus at Ekowe and the residence of the Rector in Yenagoa.

It was learnt that the management of the polytechnic, on Thursday released the withheld June salary of NASU members but failed to remit outstanding union dues.

It was, however, gathered that management reportedly paid withheld June salary without remitting the union dues for the fourth month.

The polytechnic’s chapter of NASU vowed that the institution would remain under locks until the check off dues and salaries are released.

Mr Etebu Ebifiye, NASU Chairman, on Saturday said that the non-remittance of the union dues by the management was a breach of labour laws and unacceptable.

Ebifiye said that the rector directed the payment of the withheld salary without remitting  check-off dues for June in addition to January, February, March and April 2025, which triggered an industrial action in the institution.

He explained that although the rector had called for truce to end the industrial action, he noted that it is only a reversal of the four months check-off dues would make the workers to shift grounds and unlock the institution.

“We have been occupying the polytechnic’s liaison office in Yenagoa since July 11.

He added that the rector had tried in vain to use force to disperse us by making a false report that we were vandalising the polytechnic’s facilities.

“Armed security men in four vans came to forcefully open the gates but when they saw no sign of vandalism, they left. We cannot resort to vandalising property left in our care. It is our property and we are poised to protect and not to vandalise it.

“We have occupied this place and kept vigil here and until the check-off dues is restored, we go nowhere. The rector called me and I told him our stand. We are waiting for him to act and we unlock the gates,” the labour leader said.

Ebifiye noted that NASU members were tacitly denied promotion as their appraisal forms were not endorsed.

He said: “The rector is not worker-friendly. He has sacked our members in NASU without regard to the labour procedures or due process.

“He directed all the Heads of Departments and the Deans that NASU members should not be appraised, a decision that affects the career progress of hundreds of our members.

“As long as NASU members are excluded from the promotion, we will make sure that the promotion exercise doesn’t hold here,” Ebifiye said.

When contacted, Mr Nimizuo Pereseigha, Public Relations Officer of the polytechnic, said the Rector, Dr Lukman Adegoke, was out of town and declined to comment on the labour dispute.

Adegoke declined to take calls to his mobile phone and has yet to respond to text message seeking his reaction to the dispute.