The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUP

  • ASUP may end strike after delegates’ conference

    ASUP may end strike after delegates’ conference

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) may suspend its ongoing after its 12th national delegates’ conference holding at Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, it was learnt yesterday.

    A top member of the union, who spoke in confidence, told our reporter that the government had met about 70 per cent of the union’s demands.

    The source said the action would be suspended at the end of the election.

    According to him, the action is sustained by the current leadership to ensure that they are re-elected, because “the strike will stifle all opposition to their re-election”.

    The source added: “The strike would have been suspended, if not for the political dimension. I am sure that once the National President and his team are re-elected after the conference, he will announce the suspension of the strike.”

    But addressing the delegates yesterday, ASUP’s National President, Mr. Chibuzo Asomugha, insisted that the action would be sustained until the system got better.

    He said the strike was not against the management of the polytechnics.

    The union leader urged members to remain committed to the action, adding: “We will continue with the struggle until we win. We are struggling so that the system can stand firm.

    “We are here to reaffirm our faith in the essence of our justified struggle and to wake up to the reality that although successes are being recorded in some of our demands, the engagement is an ongoing concern. I am confident that the leadership of this union at various levels will stay committed to leading the ranks in our collective struggle.”

  • Breaking News: Fed Poly Oko down tools

    …Joint Action committee of Trade Unions condemns molestation of ASUP officials

    …says it operates in atmosphere of fear

    …demands removal of the two officers from Office
    Tension is high at Federal Polytechnic, Oko Wednesday as Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions (JACTU) grounded all academic and non academic activities in the institution until further notice.
    This was following the recommendations of the Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions (JACTU) to the Rector of the Institution Prof Godwin Onu to remove his two aides, Mr Amobi Chiamogu and Stanley Okafor from office for assaulting the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Oko chapter officials.
    JACTU  said  it hereby withdraws herself from further official engagements with management until the issues are resolved adding that it is now operating in an atmosphere of fear, dreadful in academic environment, this they said is unacceptable.
    Rising from an emergency meeting yesterday JACTU, condemned the attack on the officials of the union by people from the office of the Rector adding that the action smacks of high level of indiscipline and gangsterism.
    The resolution made available to  The Nation  was signed by Chairman of ASUP, Dr Onyeka Uwakwe , General Secretary ASUP , Lady Ogugua Ochuba , a lawyer ; Chairman of   NASU, Chief Ezenwankwo Ik and secretary ,Nwankwo Jeff as well as Chairman SSNAIP Okoye G.F and Secretary Nwafor Barnabas.
    JACTU wrote Rector Prof Onu and copied National President  of ASUP, General Secretary among others.
    It stated in part,’’ a meeting of the Joint Action  of Trade Unions (ASUP, NASU, SSANIP) took place on Tuesday , October 22, 2013 as a result of a report on assault and attack on ASUP by officers attached to your office—Mr Amobi Chiamogu and Barr Stanley Okafor , during ASUP emergency congress held on Monday, October 21, 2013.
    ‘’Mr Amobi Chiamogu began attack on ASUP officials and in the process destroying official documents of the union as well as inflicting body injuries to General- Secretary, Lady Barr Ogugua Ochuba . He later rained punches on one Kossy Ebunilo , an academic staff in the meeting. The legal Adviser ,Br Stanley Okafor lumbered into the meeting with a stick and eventually caused a commotion . Reports indicate that a yet to be confirmed accomplices aided the duo in the act of infamy. The meeting reviewed the situation and concludes the development is strange to an academic environment and public service rules.
    ‘’Regrettably, the two officers who assaulted and caused bodily injuries to an officer and members of ASUP are key officers attached to your office. How can such highly placed officers of Rectory Unit throw decorum to the winds? Indeed the actions are atrocious that JACTU is worried that these men were sponsored to engage in such heinous acts. Ironically, one of the officers , the legal adviser , Mr Stanley Okafor is not a member of ASUP. What then brought to a meeting of intellectuals?
    ‘’JACTU condemns the action of the duo in entirety and regrets that the actions are unprecedented in the institution. The actions smack of high level of indiscipline and gangsterism. The development is appalling, shocking and unacceptable. Other personal assistants and legal advisers have successfully operated in the institution without abusing powers or causing a breach a breach of peace.
    ‘’In view of the forgoing, management appears to weigh poorly on Labour relations measurement scale. Consequently, JACTU hereby withdraws herself from further official engagements with management until the issues are resolved.
    ‘’Regrettably, he victims of the duo are very senior officers of the Polytechnic. JACTU , therefore , demands immediate removal of these officers from office. The action is deplorable and JACTU demands that appropriate punitive sanctions be meted to these people. JACTU also demands unreserved public apology by both management and the concerned officers.
    JACTU ended thus, ‘’ Generally, in view of the unguarded utterances of threats to life by the duo , JACTU is compelled to believe that staff and unions now operate in an atmosphere of fear. That is dreadful enough in an academic environment and this is unacceptable’’.

  • Fear of expulsion grips poly students

    There is palpable fear among students of the Federal Polytechnic in Oko (OKO POLY), Anambra State, as semester examination begins, following the suspension of the recent strike embarked on by Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP).

    The last semester examination was not a nice experience for some of the students as management pasted the names of students, who engaged in examination malpractice. They affected students were expelled by the management.

    Also, some students, who did not meet minimum pass mark required in various departments to be promoted to the next level of study, were advised to withdraw while others were transferred to less competitive departments.

    More than 40 students were asked to withdraw or repeat in the Mass Communication department after result of last semester was released. Without knowing the fate that may befall them, some below-average students have been gripped with fear.

    The administration of Prof Godwin Onu, the Rector, has reiterated its commitment to put the institution on the path of excellence as it frowns at conducts that may adversely affect the academic values of the polytechnic.

    Speaking to students, the Head of Mass Communication department, Mr G.O Ibe, stressed the need for students to take their studies seriously. He noted that rather than devote their time for books, students wasted time chatting on social media networks such as Facebook, 2go and Whatsapp.

    Reacting to the development, Nelson Nwamara, HND 1 Mass Communication, said final year students were not spared from expulsion or withdrawal. He urged the management to reconsider its stance on the withdrawal policy.

    He said: “The management should take its time to listen to the affected students and know the reason why they could not improve on their academic performance. Some of them may have good reasons. For It could be financial challenges or illness. Asking them to leave the institution would make their lives miserable.”

    Another student, who craved for anonymity, said: “Personally, it does not go down well with me. I would prefer that the school should suspend the affected students for one or two years or at best repeat the class than expelling them outright. Some of the students may not grab the subjects being taught in the class, which may have been the reason they failed. I take myself as an example. When I was in secondary school days, I was a bad student in Biology because the teacher teaching the subject was not doing it well. The subject’s teacher used to call me a fool. This was why I did not go for science-oriented discipline.

    “Sometimes, students are blessed with intelligence and capacity to excel in any chosen career but if there is no good teacher, they are bound to be weak in the discipline. I believe if a teacher teaches a student very well, nothing will prevent the student from passing the exam.”

    Other students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, commended Prof Onu for putting a stop to the sales of handouts and textbook in the institution, a development that made some lecturers to be extorting students.

     

  • ‘We are happy to be back’

    Some students of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY) have relived their experience during the 81-day strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). They spoke to AKINOLA OLUYI (ND II Mass Communication).

     

    Penultimate Tuesday, polytechnics resumed for academic activities, following the suspension of the 81-day industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

    The strike was suspended after the ASUP national leadership led by Dr Chibuzor Asumogba met with the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Education, which intervened on behalf of the Federal Government.

    Before beginning the strike, ASUP initially went on a seven-day warning strike to call on the government to implement the 2009 agreement it reached with the teachers to promote technical education and equate degrees issued by polytechnics with those of universities to create a level playing field for products of either institution.

    Some schools were about to start semester examinations when ASUP declared an indefinite strike to drive home its demands.

    As the strike progressed, students nationwide bemoaned their fate, saying their future was hanging in the balance. Some of them accused the government of insincerity to develop polytechnic education; others chided their lecturers for going on strike because of personal reasons.

    When the strike was called off, there was spontaneous jubilation among students, who besieged the social media to relive their experience. Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY), Kwara State, who were about to start their first semester examination, could not hide their feelings as the campus was re-opened for academic activities.

     

  • NANS begs govt, lecturers to agree

    NANS begs govt, lecturers to agree

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has pleaded with the striking lecturers of universities to consider the future of students by calling off the industrial actions.

    In a release signed by NANS president, Yinka Gbadebo, the students’ body said the strike would have negative effect on students, who it said were at the receiving end of the ugly trend.

    Saying that NANS received the news of closure of campuses with sadness, Gbadebo said: “We do not say that the Association Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Association Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) should not agitate for their demands from the Federal Government, but we remain dissatisfied with the fact that the striking lecturers would take grave decisions without considering the plight and views of students, in whose interest the strike was ostensibly embarked upon.”

    Stressing that NANS would neither hold brief for lecturers nor take side with the Federal Government, Gbadebo asserted that ASUU and ASUP should shelve the strike in interest of students.

    His words: “Since the inception of ASUU in 1978, its stance of embarking on strikes and shutting down our universities has constantly left students writhing in endless pains.

    “Between 1999 and 2012, ASUU has embarked on a total of 30 months of strike out of the possible 156 months within this period. Lecturers in our universities have been out of class more often in the last 13 years. This is equivalent to over seven academic semesters of four months each or accurately put, four academic sessions. This is not fair and we urged the lecturers to be back on campus immediately.”

    In a telephone interview with CAMPUSLIFE, the NANS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Victor Olaogun, urged the government to reach out to the striking lecturers in the interest of justice and security of the country.

    He said that since the strike began, the Federal Government had not been forthcoming on solution to get the lecturers back on campuses, thereby mortgaging the future of students.

    He said: “If the students continue to stay at home doing nothing, things may get out of hand because they will start to think about anything to do rather than just sitting down. This, no doubt, may increase cases of armed robbery, rape, thuggery, prostitution, kidnapping and other vices. An idle hand is the devil’s workshop.

    “Since the beginning of the strike, NANS has staged peace protests across the country but all to no avail. We had a meeting with the Minister of Education, who told us that they have settled everything with ASUP. She said government didn’t know the reason why polytechnic lecturers were on strike. We also had series of meetings with the unions, they told us that the government had abandoned them since the industrial actions started. The point is: we don’t know who is fooling who.”

    “We are appealing to both unions to consider the plight of students because the staying at home of the students could do some damage to our future. Government should do something fast in the interest of the academic future of this nation.”

     

     

  • Polytechnic teachers suspend strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics on Tuesday suspended its three- month- old strike.

    The union embarked on strike April 29 to press home several demands, which include the implementation of the approved salary package (COMPCASS) and 65 year retirement age in polytechnics.

    The body’s National Executive Council at the end of its meeting on Tuesday resolved to suspend the industrial action which had crippled academic activities in several polytechnics across the country.

    Details later….

     

  • Strike: ASUP holds NEC meeting Tuesday

    Strike: ASUP holds NEC meeting Tuesday

    The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) would on Tuesday appraise the progress made so far in its indefinite strike– which began on April 29.

    The ASUP president, Mr. Chibuzor Asumogba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that the meeting followed the intervention of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Education.

    The committee, the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i and his Labour and Productivity counterpart, Chief Emeka Wogu, had met with the union on July 9, urging them to call-off the strike.

    Asumogba said the NEC meeting would decide the next line of action, noting that the union had received a green light on CONTISS 15 migration and other promises.

    “The NEC is meeting tomorrow to appraise the progress made so far, following the meeting held with the committee on education.

    “ We have received a green light on the CONTISS 15 and we have promises here and there on other demands.

    “The committee on education is proactive in addressing our demands.

    “The committee is highly placed and with its members’ integrity, we have no doubt that our demands will be addressed,” he added.

    On whether the strike would be called-off after the NEC meeting, the ASUP president said that anything was possible.

    “It all depends on what the NEC decides, everything would be decided on Tuesday, “ he said.

     

  • Strike: FG is insensitive – ASUP

    There seem to be no end in sight in the present industrial action embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) to press home their demands with the body describing the government as being insensitive to the plight of polytechnic education in the country.

    Arising from its 74th National Executive Council Meeting at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State, the polytechnic lecturers resolved to engage the government further until their demands were met especially with what the body described as insensitivity on the part of government.

    The National President of ASUP, Comrade Chibuzor Asomugha, in his speech recalled some of the reasons for the industrial action after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum that expired on April 22 and the subsequent one-week warning strike that dovetailed into an indefinite strike on April 29.

    According to him, some of the demands are – the need for constitution of the Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics; the migration of the lower cadres on the CONTISS 15 salary scale; the release of the White Paper on the Visitations to Federal Polytechnics; the need for the commencement of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics and the worrisome state of state owned polytechnics in the country.

     

  • Students plead with Jonathan to end ASUU strike

    Students plead with Jonathan to end ASUU strike

    Some students of Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki, on Thursday appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene and stop the ongoing strike by university lecturers.

    The students told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview that the ongoing strike in its fourth day was not in the interest of university education and commended lecturers in EBSU for not participating in the strike.

    The students, who spoke include Miss Rebecca Okoro, a 200 level student of the Department of Biotechnology as well as Enyinnaya Oko and Stephen Onwe both first year students of the Department of Mass Communication.

    They said timely intervention by President Jonathan would salvage the situation and appealed to him to act fast to save the university system from collapse.

    The students expressed regret that their colleagues affected by the strike had remained at home.

    “We commend the wisdom and decision of the local ASUU chapter for not participating in the ongoing industrial action.

    “You know we just resumed on May 12 for academic activities after six weeks closure of the institution by the authorities in the wake of violent protests by students over fee hike.

    “Joining the strike now will have serious consequences on the students of the university.

    “We, however, feel for our colleagues in these affected universities who are now wasting in their respective homes,’’ Okoro said.

    The students said that their first semester examination had just started before the commencement of the ASUU strike.

    They said the industrial action embarked upon by the union could distort the smooth running of the academic calendar if nothing was done to end it soon.

     

  • Strike: NANS to state position Friday – Gbadebo

    Strike: NANS to state position Friday – Gbadebo

    The National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) will come out with its position on the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday, its president, Mr Yinka Gbadebo, said on Wednesday.

    Gbadebo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the body was still consulting on the issue.

    He said that for now, they were appealing to all parties involved in the strike to find ways of reaching a compromise as students were always affected during strikes.

    On the implication of the ASUU strike coming when the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) was also protesting, he said that it was not good for students to be at home for long.

    “The government should at least do something for the unions because they play an important role and in the interest of the nation’s academic future, there should be a compromise.

    “We are appealing to both unions to look into the plight of the students because the staying at home of the students could do damage to their future, “ he said.

    According to him, though the demands of the two unions would improve their productivity and welfare, they should also consider the students.

    Gbadebo said that there should be give-and-take from both the government and the unions in resolving the problems.

    NAN recalls that ASUU had directed its members to embark on an indefinite strike nationwide since Monday.

    The action followed the inability of the Federal Government to implement some of the issues contained in a 2009 agreement it had with the union.

    ASUU also said the government had reneged on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it entered into with the union in December 2011.

    ASUP has also been on strike since April– over several issues.