ASUP - News Agency Of Nigeria

Lydia Beshel
Aug, Fri, 2025

ASUP issues 21 days ultimatum to FG over lingering demands

Demands

By Joan Nwagwu

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its outstanding demands in an agreement entered with the union.

Mr Shammah Kpanja, President of ASUP, said this while addressing newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the union on Thursday in Abuja.

Kapanja said that the demands by the union includes the non release of a circular to effect the payment of its Peculiar Academic Allowance by the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).

He said the Peculiar Academic Allowances paid to academic staff across Polytechnics was a component of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement.

The union leader said, rather than make provisions for payment, the allowances have been removed from the budgeting template and the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) had failed to intervene in definite terms on the subject.

He said the NEC expressed deep concerns over the continued decision by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to outsource the accreditation process for polytechnics in the country despite assurances to desist from such actions.

The union leader said the 25/35 per cent arrears of salary review was yet to be implemented.

He said that the arrears which cover a 12-month period and captured in the budget was yet to be released for reasons beyond the comprehension of the union.

ASUP president added that NEC expressed deep concerns over the continued decision by the NBTE to outsource the accreditation process for polytechnics in the country despite assurances to desist from such actions.

He said that most states government have failed to implement the New National Minimum Wage.

He said NEC have expressed worry over the continued delay and non approval of a dual mandate structure aimed at eliminating the agelong discrimination against HND holders.

“In view of the items listed above our union’s NEC has resolved to issue a 21 days ultimatum to the Government to address the issues satisfactorily.

“A failure to utilise this window may lead to the declaration of a trade dispute and withdrawal of services of our members across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide” he said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

Strike: NUBA Polytechnic lecturers earn less than NYSC members – ASUP

Philip Daniel Yatai
Jun, Thu, 2025

Education

Strike: NUBA Polytechnic lecturers earn less than NYSC members – ASUP

By Mustapha Yauri

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria Chapter, has raised alarm over alleged poor salaries earned by the polytechnic lecturers as the union continues its strike.

The union alleged that the lecturers earned less than the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, which according to it, is sparking concerns over educators’ welfare.

The Chairman of the union, Malam Usman-Shehu Suleiman, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria on Thursday.

NAN reports that the joint staff unions had embarked on a one-week warning strike on June 16, which grounded academic activities at the two campuses of the institution.

The strike was hinged on the non implementation of the National Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Salary Structure and implementation of the 65 years retirement age for non-teaching staff among others.

Suleiman, who is also the Chairman, Joint Action Committee of the staff unions of the institutions, said the net pay of an assistant lecturer at the institution was N64, 400, which he said was far below the monthly allowance of NYSC members.

“This, among other reasons, caused the institutions to experience drastic brain-drain and many lecturers are on the verge of leaving the institution.

“We lose cohorts of lecturers to Federal University of Transportation Daura, Katsina State; Federal Polytechnic Gombe and Kaduna State University (KASU) among other institutions.

“We have an instance where a lecturer was sponsored to acquire masters and Ph.D by the institution upon his return; he found the situation unbearable and decided to leave,” he said.

However, the chairman added that the lecturer had signed a bond with the institution, therefore, he had to repay NUBA Polytechnic over N21m.

The chairman described the situation as ‘bad omen’ for the education sector.

Similarly, Abubakar Aliyu-Shika, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic (SSANIP), NUBA Polytechnic branch, said the union had been agitating for the improvement of salary since 2009, “almost 16 years ago.

“We had series of agreements with the state government on June 11, 2010, and June 19, 2014 over the matter and nothing was done besides just signing the agreement and complaints of paucity of funds.”

He added that on Dec. 17 2024, Gov. Uba Sani assured the leadership of the joint unions that the Polytechnic and College of Education Salary Structure (2024) would be implemented by the first quarter of 2025.

“Regrettably, we are at the end of the second quarter of the year and no concrete steps have been taken to fulfill this promise,” he said.

Aliyu-Shika noted that one of the excuses was paucity of funds in the state and the government would fully implement the new salary structure when the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) improved.

He added that the total staff strength of the polytechnic was little above 900, saying, ”now, the government has recruited 500 new staff; it means the financial situation has improved, hence our demands.” (NAN)

Edited by Esenvosa Izah/Muhammad Lawal