The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUP

  • ASUP decries non-payment of salary

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in Zone D met in Enugu at the weekend, with a resolution affecting the welfare of chapters.

    The chapters include Abia State Polytechnics, Aba; Federal Polytechnic, Oko; Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu; and Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Science, Ikono.

    In a communiqué, ASUP decried the non-payment of salary in Abia State Polytechnic for over seven months.

    It said it would not accept the excuse of poor finances. But reports, however, said the school, was owing financial institutions over N1.4 billion.

    ASUP, Zone D hailed the Abia State government for increasing the monthly subvention of the institution from N25 million to N90 million, “but, however, noted that practical and urgent steps must be taken to clear the backlog of salaries and debts owed banks.”

    It noted the disturbing degeneration of industrial relations in the chapter at Federal Polytechnic, Oko,

    “The union is worried at the gradual but persistent degeneration of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, into a theatre of industrial disharmony, ASUP Zone D said.

    “It is our guided conviction that with these disturbing events coming at the end of the tenure of the Rector, Prof. Godwin Onu and the principled position of the chapter in Oko for the next rector to be appointed from within the sector, these events could be related.”

    According to it, the zone identified with the chapter in the face “of such persecution and at the same time insists that the age-long position of ASUP national that rectors should be sourced from within the sector is not negotiable in Federal Polytechnic, Oko and other polytechnics.”

  • Group seeks end to ASUP, COEASU strikes

    The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has called on the Federal Government to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) so that students can resume.

    The group said the strikes have shown the failure of the government to resolve the lingering problems in education sector.

    In a statement, its National Coordinator and National Secretary, Hassan Taiwo Soweto and Michael Ogundele, the group said the demands of ASUP and COEASU are to improve the education sub-sector, noting that it has suffered neglect by the government.

    “We note that the Federal Government has been largely indifferent to the agitations of ASUP over the past few months which have contributed to the prolongation of the strike. It is not coincidental that same indifferent and disdainful attitude is being applied by the Federal Government to the COEASU strike which started much later.

    “President Goodluck Jonathan’s anti-poor capitalist government has nothing but contempt for public education, most especially the polytechnic and colleges of education. The ERC believes that further expectation that this government will do the right thing simply through dialogue is a waste of time.

    “We, therefore, challenge ASUP and COEASU to name a day for nationwide mass protests to compel the government to meet their demands,” the statement said.

    ERC said it is confident that if ASUP and COEASU jointly name a day for protests and embark on serious mobilisation towards it, the response from Polytechnics and Colleges of Education lecturers, home-weary students and concerned members of the public would be solid, noting that if such a step is taken, the ERC will lend its support.

    The  strike is in its fourth week.

    The union embarked on strike to stop what they termed the imposition of the Integrated Personnel & Payroll Information System (IPPIS) on colleges of education.

     

  • ASUP vows to sustain strike

    ASUP vows to sustain strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has said it will sustain its ongoing strike until the Federal Government addresses all contending issues and repositions the sector.

    ASUP’s National President Chibuzo Asomuhga told reporters yesterday in Kaduna that the Federal Government had neither shown any concern about the polytechnic lecturers’ strike nor expressed worries about the state of affairs in the sector.

    The academic said the present administration’s attitude to the strike was a reflection of its general attitude to polytechnic education.

    According to him, such attitude has compounded the discrimination and marginalisation of the sector and its graduates by the public and the private sector.

    Asomuhga noted that while the government intervened in other sectors that went on strike or threatened strike, it had ignored the nation’s call for an end to the ongoing strike.

    The ASUP president said the deplorable state of the nation’s polytechnics reflected the government’s attitude and approach to the sector.

    He stressed that with such attitude, it would be difficult there is no guessing why the much talked about technological development has continued to elude the country.

    According to him, part of the issues raised by the union was for the government to carry out a NEEDS assessment of public polytechnics, as it did with public universities, to determine the funding needs of the polytechnics.

    He said: “The universities were able to come up with the funding requirement and the kind of funding they need, after the government had done a NEEDS Assessment of public universities. We have also asked the government to do a NEEDS assessment of polytechnics. It is only after an assessment that we will be able to come out with the funding portfolio of public polytechnics. The government has now set up a committee, which is working at a slow pace.

    “There is also the aspect of the migration from CONTISS 15, which was approved in 2009. Although at that time, there was an implementation, it only covered the top echelon – from level 12 and above – even though the circular at that time approved the migration for the lower echelon.

    “It has taken us four years to get government to give another approval for the conclusion of this and the implementation of this, including the arrears will cost government about N20.6 billion. We have presented this to all the relevant bodies, but government has not been able to provide funding for this migration.”

    The ASUP president added that even though the government agreed to implement four of their demands before the strike was suspended in July, none of the demands was implemented until after the union resumed the strike on October 4, 2013.

  • Ominous silence on ASUP strike

    Ominous silence on ASUP strike

    As a student, I have been taken aback by the silence of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on its ongoing strike; which started last October. It has been over two months since the polytechnics were shut and there has been no adequate media publicity to draw the government’s attention to the closure.

    Unlike the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, which drew national attention, the ASUP strike is seen as inconsequential to national development, but the fate of thousands of students is dangling on the balance.

    I was discussing with a friend, who wanted to know the latest about the ASUP strike and polytechnics’ resumption. I offered that nothing was being done to make students return to school because the focus was on the ASUU strike and university students. This discussion made me posted a write up on social media, with the caption: “ASUP lacks media publicity” and it attracted a lot of comments and reactions from students, who expressed the view that the nation still sees polytechnic students as inferior.

    It must be said, the lack of focus to the ASUP demands and its officials’ silence has brought setback to the resolution of crisis rocking the polytechnics.

    Before it called off its strike, the ASUU was always in the news every day. Its nocturnal and daylight meetings with the government were reported as top headlines in the media, a development that I consider to help ASUU’s demands to be met by the government. It is not because the government gave an ultimatum to the lecturers to resume or former ASUU President Festus Iyayi died while trying to resolve the issue, it is because university lecturers were committed and they have achieved their goals and objectives to justify the strike. The ASUP never has such commitment.

    It was the government that was looking forward to ASUU to call off the strike after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), but the reverse is the case for ASUP, why?

    ASUP went on strike last June and suspended the action in October to allow many polytechnics complete examinations and semesters. It called another strike to force the government to erase the dichotomy between Higher National Diploma and Bachelor of Science degrees among other demands.

    The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) executive has also kept mum while the strike progress. Though, some weeks ago, the NAPS called on the supervising Minister of Education Nyesom Wike’s sack for his incompetence and failure to resolve the crises facing the education sector. The union executive needs to tell the government the truth by making their ways into media, but they are letting the students down.

    I believe the only channel through which the government would take ASUP strike serious is by the officials to explore the publicity of the strike on radio, television and newspapers. I believe, if on daily basis, our government can feel the criticism by the polytechnic students and ASUP, the government would be forced to see reasons in ASUP’s demands.

    We are in a world where pen and papers are mightier than the swords. But who will tell the story of the polytechnic students? Why are the people to protect polytechnic students’ interest? Society gives high esteem to journalists, who through their training help translate and interpret complex and technical information into simple language that we can understand. But if we keep mum and we do not express our minds to the media, I am sure journalists would not cook stories for us to be heard, ASUP and unions in polytechnics have to speak up and patronize the media to tell our story.

    The furore generated by the recent 18-page letter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan spread across the country because of the publicity by the media. That is the power of the mass media but ASUP restricted itself to campuses and believed government would come there to negotiate. In Nigeria, if a matter has not blown open, the authority concern may believe it is a child’s play.

    It is high time the ASUP, NAPS executives and polytechnic students stood up and approach the mass media to fight their cause so that government would quickly move to resolve the ongoing ASUP strike.

     

    •Kazeem, is a student of Mass Comm., OFFAPOLY

  • ASUP vow to continue strike

    ASUP vow to continue strike

    • Accuses govt of indifference to poly education
    Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has said that it will sustain its on going industrial action which has paralysed education in most public polytechnics across the country until government addresses all contending issues and take appropriate steps to reposition the sector.
    National President of ASUP, Asomuhga Chibuzo said at a news conference in Kaduna that it was regrettable that the federal government has failed to show concern over the repercussion of the ongoing strike by the polytechnic lecturers nor are they worries about the state of affairs in the sector.
    Chibuzo said the attitude of government to polytechnic education in the country is a clear indication of the estimation in which government holds polytechnic education, a perception that has acerbated the discrimination and marginalisation of the sector and its graduates by both the public and private sectors of the economy.
    He noted that while the government is busy intervening in other sectors that have been on strike or threatening strike, it has remained nonchalant about responding to the cry of the union and to end the on-going strike.
    He said further that the critical state of the polytechnic sector today has significantly been encouraged by government’s attitude and approach to issues concerning it, adding that with the current attitude of government towards polytechnics, there is no guessing why the much talked about technological development has continued to elude the country.
    According to him, part of the issues raised by the union was for the government to carry out a needs assessment of public polytechnics across the country just as it did with public universities in other to determine the funding needs of the polytechnics.
    He said “the universities were able to up with the funding requirement and the kind of funding they need after government has done a needs assessment of public universities. We have also asked government to do a needs assessment of polytechnics and it is only after an assessment that we will be able to come out with the funding portfolio of public polytechnics. Government has now set up a committee which is working at a slow pace.
    “There is also the aspect of the migration from CONTIS 15 which was approved in 2009. Although at that time, there was an implementation, it only covered the top echelon from level 12 and above even though the circular at that time approved the migration for the lower echelon.
    “It has taken us four years to get government to give another approval for the conclusion of this and the implementation of this, including the arrears will cost government about N20.6 billion. We have presented this to all the relevant bodies, but government has not been able to provide funding for this migration”.
    The ASUP president said that even though the government agreed to implement four of their demands before the strike was suspended in July, none of the demands was implemented until after the union resumed the strike on October 4, 2013.
    The four issues which he said the government agreed to implement were the immediate release of government white paper on visitation to federal  polytechnics, immediate implementation of CONTIS 15 migration for the lower cadres and its arrears from 2009; the constitution of Governing Councils for the Six Polytechnics and the carrying out the needs assessment of public polytechnics.
    He said further that it was only after the resumption of the strike that the government constituted the governing councils, approve the implementation of the CONTIS 15 migration, but has refused to fund it and approve the conduct of a needs assessment of the polytechnics.
    He noted that the challenges in the polytechnic sector in Nigeria are many and hav4e hampered the creation for a more convenient platform for the sector to grow and develop as is obtainable in the developed and developing countries of the world.
    The situation at hand he said “has sadly encouraged brain drain as most lecturers take the polytechnic sector only as a transit camp to the most preferred university system. The frustration is even more imminent as lecturers in the polytechnic sector are placed on the same salary scale with their non-academic counterparts as against what is obtainable in the university”.

  • FEDPOFFA ASUP gets new leaders

    The Federal Polytechnic Offa (FEDPOFFA) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), has appointed new executives to run the affairs of the union.

    They are Dr Sola Ojeniyi (Chairman), Dr Abdulwaheed Balogun (Vice-Chairman), Mr Bankole (General Secretary), Mr Bisola Olowookere (Assistant General Secretary), Mrs Bolanle Ajibade (Financial Secretary), Mr Samuel Ogundele (Treasurer), Mr Mufutau Olaoye (Public Relations Officer), Mr Peter Ajayi (Social Welfare Officer) and Mrs Grace Korter (Internal Auditor).

    At the inauguration of the new executives, which took place inside the 1000-seater lecture hall of the institution, the Rector, Dr Mufutau Olatinwo, represented by the Deputy Rector (Administration), Dr Ayodele Kuburat Olaosebikan, congratulated the new executives on a successful power transition.

    He also appreciated the immediate past executives for their support and understanding. He advised the new team to be proactive in any situation and allow God to lead them in the course of duty.

    Olatinwo urged them to lift the institution to the highest level by giving the management good suggestions on how the institution can be moved higher.

    The Deputy Rector, Academics, Alhaji Biaminu Saliu advised the new leaders to ensure that they work as a team. He maintained that in unity, there is harmony and understanding, he implored them to listen to people and be sensitive to people and situation on campus.

    The Chairman, ASUP Electoral Committee, Elder Omotosho Badmus, enjoined the contestants to close ranks and work together for the progress of the union and not to give room for division them.

    In his inaugural speech as Chairman, Ojeniyi appreciated God for the victory. He thanked all the ASUP members for their understanding, cooperation and support during the election period. He appealed to the supporters of all the contestants to put politics behind them and join hands with him to lift the union.

    His predecessor, Mr Kamoru Kadiri wished them a successful tenure.

     

  • ‘ASUP strike is a blessing in disguise’

    How did you feel when you were offered admission by another school?

    I felt delighted because studying Nursing was my plan B. Sincerely, I must say that I have a passion for nursing and science-related courses because I believe that without science, there is no life.

    When and how did you discover your potential in nursing?

    My passion for taking care of sick people made me to develop love for the discipline. However, I can say that my love for Biology in my secondary school days reinforced the passion. We used to visit hospitals on excursions. There, I started to dream to become a nurse.

    Why not run both programmes instead of leaving one for the other?

    I cannot do this given the distance between Ife in Osun State and Offa in Kwara State; it is a long journey. But then, the nursing school requires full attention of students. The school does not allow students to move here and there without reason. Moreover, I have little passion for Food Technology and I accepted to study the course because I did not want to remain idle at home.

    With your brief stay in OFFA POLY, how would you describe your experience?

    I will say the polytechnic prepared me for academic life and exposed me to so many things. I had my first campus orientation in the polytechnic. This has opened my eyes to various challenges that may disturb the academic pursuit of students. I learnt how to survive with insufficient resources. Although, I enjoyed my short stay in Offa, I took the lesson to the nursing school.

    How would you compare the polytechnic and the nursing school?

    Both institutions have standard. But the polytechnic offers various courses while the Seventh-Day Adventist Nursing School is a specialised training centre.

    What was the reaction of your friends at OFFA POLY when you told them you were leaving?

    Almost all of them were happy because I was not leaving the school to go home. I left for another school. Some of them even wanted me to continue staying with them because we read and played together. But I have to go to where my passion is. I could not wait any longer. For me, the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike is a blessing.

    Are you encountering any challenge in the nursing school?

    Challenges are inevitable in human existence. I encountered some challenges when I resumed the Nursing programme, but I thank God some have been solved. As we all know, challenges occur at every stage in life but we must devise mean to surmount the challenges and move on.

    What advice would you give to your colleagues in OFFA POLY?

    I want them not to be carried away with the freedom they have on campus and abandon their studies. They should know that cultism, examination malpractices and indecent dressing taint reputation. We should not be caught in these vices. We must give in our best to achieve our purpose on campus.

     

  • ONDOPOLY to hold convocation after 10 years

    ONDOPOLY to hold convocation after 10 years

    The Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo (RUGIPO), Ondo State, will on Saturday hold its first convocation in 10 years.

    Speaking with reporters on the 11th Convocation, the Rector, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the institution could not hold any convocation in 10 years due to students’ unrest and continuous strike by lecturers.

    Saturday’s convocation is for 35,331 students, who graduated between 2001 and 2013.

    Ajifebun said the polytechnic has been enjoying peace since he became the rector three years ago.

    He said: “Now, there is cordial relationship among students, workers and the management. We have a stable academic calendar and there are no more strikes. RUGIPO did not join the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics’ (ASUP’s) strike. We now enjoy peace and we believe this is the ripe period to have the convocation.”

    Governor Olusegun Mimiko will on Saturday inaugurate the institution’s 800-seater Information and Communications Technology (ICT) centre and the Principal Officers’ Lodge.

  • After ASUU, don’t forget ASUP

    After ASUU, don’t forget ASUP

    SIR: The long waited suspension of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has finally come. Students of federal and state owned universities can now go back to school after 170 days of strike by their teachers. But still, it is not yet over.

    Our brothers, sisters, friends and colleagues in the polytechnics are still at home. They have not been in class since October 4. This is as a result of the resolve of Academic Staff Union of the Polytechnics (ASUP) not to return to class until the constitution of governing councils for the polytechnics, release of white paper on the visitation panels to federal government and the commencement of NEEDS assessment of the polytechnics.

    Other demands/grouses of the polytechnic teachers are the halting the appointment of unqualified persons as rectors and provost by some state government, failure of government to implement the approved salary package(CONPCASS), 65-year retirement age for the members, the worrisome state of state owned polytechnics, the continued recognition of the National Board of Technical Education as the regulatory body of the Nigerian polytechnics as against the unions’ repeated call for the establishment of National Polytechnic Commission(NPC), the non commencement of the re-negotiation of the FGN/ASUP agreement as contained in the signed agreement, the snail speed on works on the amendment of the federal polytechnic Act/scheme of service and migration of the lower cadre to CONTISS salary scale.

    Indeed, these issues need not shoved aside nor left unattended. The continuous stay of students at home is uncalled for. These young minds are delayed from progressing.

    It will be recalled that ASUP embarked on strike on April 29. The strike lasted for 81 days before the intervention of the joint committees on education in the National Assembly. The strike was suspended for one month in order to address the issues.

    As a result of the failure to address the issues, the strike resumed on October 4. Till date, nothing has been heard on the strike.

    Education at whatever level is pertinent to society development. No level need receive attention more than the other. If it happens, the result would be an unbalanced scale in our hands. A scale where graduates of universities are perceived to perform better than their polytechnic counterparts. A scale where there is segregation and discrimination; a scale where polytechnic graduates are treated as second-hand citizens. Are these meant to be so?

    Over N400 billion was allocated to the entire education sector in 2012. Out of these, federal polytechnics got N63.7 billion, representing 15.92 percent, while federal colleges of education got N42.5 billion which represented 10.62 percent. But federal universities got N188.4 billion representing 47.10 percent – in other words, the university sector alone received twice of what was allocated to the polytechnics and colleges of education.

    Even as the needful has been done for the universities, same hand needed to be extended to the polytechnics. Government, do the needful; the students are anxious to resume their studies.

    • Kelechi Amakoh

    University of Lagos

  • FG will pay N20.8bn arrears to poly staff – Wike

    FG will pay N20.8bn arrears to poly staff – Wike

    The Supervising Minister for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, said the Federal Government would pay the N20.8 billion arrears owed to polytechnic staff as soon as the procedure for payment was concluded.

    Wike made this known at a meeting with the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Polytechnics in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He said the Federal Government had met over 80 per cent of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

    According to him, the only thing left to be done is the release of the white-paper on the implementation of their demands.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ASUP embarked on strike on Oct. 4 after expressing its disappointment at the Federal Government’s `cold attitude’ to polytechnic education in Nigeria.

    He said that contrary to insinuations by the union, the present administration held the polytechnic staff in high esteem.

    Hence, the setting up of the Needs Assessment to determine the level of decay in schools and how much would be needed by the Federal Government to revive the institutions, he said.

    The minister called on the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Polytechnics to mediate in the impasse between the Federal Government and ASUP to ensure that Nigerian students return to schools.

    He, however, urged the committee to work toward ensuring that the institutions return to their original mandate of producing skilled medium level manpower to drive the economy.

    Earlier, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Chairman of the committee of pro-chancellors, called on the minister to facilitate the resolution of the strike by the ASUP.

    He also called on the ministry to work toward the release of the white paper of the Visitation Panels to Federal Polytechnics and pay arrears owed to polytechnic staff.

    The meeting was attended by officials of the National Board for Technical Education and chairmen of 14 governing councils of polytechnics