The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of
Polytechnics (ASUP) has praised the new Minister
for Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau,
describing him as “matured” and somebody who
has the interest of the lecturers at heart.
The National Publicity Secretary of ASUP,
Clement Chirman, made this disclosure after the
meeting between the new minister and the
union where a major breakthrough was made
towards the resolution of the strike action.
He said the minister is fully committed in
ensuring the polytechnic crisis will be a thing of
the past and expressed the union’s confidence in
his abilities following a positive outcome of the
meeting.
Mallam Shekarau had at the meeting, expressed
his disappointment that the union is receiving
him from home saying he will do everything
within his power to make sure polytechnic
students return to class.
“Let me begin by expressing my sincere thanks
to the leadership of ASUP. As you rightly said I
would have loved to be welcomed on a very
happy note with a lot of celebrations eating and
dancing. Nevertheless, it’s a very important
issue that has been lingering. I have always
referred to our polytechnics as an engine room of
our technological growth and development. We
cannot afford to ignore the polytechnics,” he
said.
He however pleaded with the lecturers to
suspend the strike as he assesses the situation
with a view of finding a lasting solution.
In his reaction, the ASUP president, Chibuzor
Asomugha, congratulated the new minister and
restated the demands of the lecturers which
includes the 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, and the need for the
commencement of the Needs Assessment of
Nigerian Polytechnics amongst others.
He expressed his delight at the way the meeting
went and promised that the NEC members of the
union will meet to reveal the outcome of the
minister’s discussion with a promise that the
situation will be remedied soon.
Polytechnic lectures has been on strike since
October 4th, 2013 over disagreements with the
federal government.
Students have lost one academic session as a
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Is there any hope for HND holders against the descrimination in the labour marhet?