The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUP

  • Polytechnics’ strike continues – ASUP

    Polytechnics’ strike continues – ASUP

    Polytechnics across the nation remained shut on Friday as the National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) insisted that the strike would continue.

    In a voice vote at the end of its 74th NEC meeting held at Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State, the body said it remains committed to the development of the education sector and insisted on the continuation of the ongoing industrial action until the Federal Government fulfill its own part of the bargain.

    The union blamed the Federal Government for the closure of polytechnics nationwide, saying the government should honour the agreement signed by both parties in 2010.

  • Lagos Polytechnic students express relief over suspended strike

    Lagos Polytechnic students express relief over suspended strike

    Some students of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, on Tuesday expressed relief that the institution’s chapter of the Academic State Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) had suspended its strike which started a month ago.

    They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos as they began to trickle into classes after the local ASUP chapter decided to return to classes.

    The local chapter had taken the action in spite of the continuation of the strike by the national body which started on April 29.

    Miss Omowunmi Oladipupo, a Mass Communication student in HND II, told NAN that she was happy to be back in school after being kept at home because of the strike.

    “I am happy the strike has been suspended because our time was being wasted when the strike was going on,’’ she said.

    Oladipupo said that the strike had disrupted her academic calendar.

    “The academic calendar has been disrupted and this has drawn us back.

    “The school was supposed to have resumed in April and students were slated to begin their second semester examinations in July.

    “This cannot happen again because of the strike,’’ she said.

    Mr Friday Ojo, a student of Electrical Electronics Engineering in HND1, told NAN that he was happy with the resumption of lectures.

    He urged the government to always honour its agreements to unions to avert industrial actions which were taking toll on the academic calendar.

    Ojo said many students had not returned to school since the strike was suspended, but he could not explain the reasons.

    Mr Obanla Adeyemi, another  student of  Mass Communication in HND II, said that the strike had affected the time frame of students writing their projects.

    “The strike has affected students writing their projects, because they do not have access to their supervisors.

    “The time frame for the project might not be enough now because some of the students will have to rush the projects due to pressure from their supervisors,’’ he said.

    Mr Arowolo Olatunji, ASUP chairman in LASPOTECH, told NAN on Monday that the chapter decided to return to classes immediately because some of their demands had been met by the Lagos State Government.

    Olatunji said they had an agreement with the state government over some local issues and these had been resolved so they had decided to return to classes.

    The ASUP chairman, however, did not shed light on the agreements which had been met.

    On the possible sanction which the local chapter could face from its parent body, Olatunji said that ASUP National Executive Council would still have to meet and deliberate on the reason behind their action.

    He said it was the council that could decide on what would happen because of their action.

    NAN reports that as the ASUP in the school returned to classes, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (NASUP) in the institution  began a seven-day warning strike called by the national body.

    The NASUP chairman in Yaba College of Technology,  Mr Ilesanmi Olatunbosun, told NAN that the warning strike was called to draw attention of Federal Government to some demands in relation to CONTISS 15.

    NAN reports that the NASUP strike at the college came on the heels of another called by the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP).

  • ASUP votes to continue strike

    Members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) yesterday decided to continue the indefinite strike they began on April 29.

    The decision was subjected to voting by ASUPs National Executive Committee (NEC) at a lengthy meeting in Abuja on Wednesday because they could not agree on whether to accede to the Federal Government’s request for three weeks to look into their 12-point demands or not.

    Mr Kadiri Kamoru, ASUP Chair, Federal Polytechnic Offa (FEDPOFFA) chapter and Southwest Publicity Secretary told The Nation that 28 NEC members voted to continue the strike while 23 voted for a suspension.

    “Strike continues. NEC went into voting after four hours of exhaustive deliberations. Votes: strike is to continue, 28; to suspend strike, 23. NEC meeting is still in progress,” he wrote in a short message service (SMS).

    Speaking afterwards, Kamoru said the polytechnic teachers decided to continue the strike because the Federal Government has only fulfilled one of its 12 -1 point demand wgich they identified as the – re-constitution of the governing councils of polytechnics.

  • ASUP gives Fed Govt 21-day ultimatum

    ASUP gives Fed Govt 21-day ultimatum

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over unresolved national issues that border on education and security of the nation.

    The union said: “The 21- day notice will begin from March 25 within which period the Federal Government is to address the issues raised by the union years ago.

    The unresolved issues border on continued delay in the re-negotiation of FGN/ASUP agreement

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the 73rd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Ilaro, Ogun State, and signed by the union’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Clement; the union also decried the delay in the review of the Polytechnic Act and the non-release of government White Paper on the Visitation Panel to the polytechnics. ASUP also faults the non-implementation of the 65-years retirement age in some polytechnics and monotechnics, adding that the implementation of the reviewed Scheme of Service and CONTISS 15 which to them, currently affects the lower cadre, were among the demands of the union.

    The union also frowned at the rising state of insecurity in the nation, the Presidential pardon for ex-convicts, the planned removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government, and the appointment of unqualified rectors in some state-owned institutions.