Rising from a meeting held at Rivers State
Polytechnic, Bori, Rivers State to deliberate over
progress made since the suspension of the
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP)
strike on July 12, 2014, the National Executive
Council (NEC) of the union has expressed hope
that the task force set up by the Minister of
Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau to look into
the contending issues would submit its report in
due time.
Disclosing the outcome of the meeting, held last
Friday, South-West zonal coordinator of the
ASUP, Dosumu Babatunde, stated that a letter
had been sent to the minister to urge the task
force set up to step up its work.
“We wouldn’t want the three months grace given
to government to lapse so we sent a letter to the
minister urging him to do everything possible to
ensure that we end this crisis before the
expiration of the period given to the minister,”
Babatunde said.
He, however, noted Shekarau’s commitment to
resolving the impasse.
“The minister had said that once the task force
submits its report, there will be a meeting with
ASUP and COEASU where the report will be
discussed, with the intention of generating a
working paper and promised that he will
personally take it to the Presidency for approval,”
Babatunde noted.
ill be recalled that the union, through an
announcement by its President, Dr Chibuzor
Asomugha, had on July 12, 2014 suspended an
about 10-month old strike for only three months
to allow the then newly appointed Education
Minister, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau address the
contentious issues and take necessary action.
Some of the issues that led to the suspended
strike are: the constitution of Governing Council
for all the Federal polytechnics; the removal of
the discrimination and dichotomy between
polytechnic and university graduates; the under-
funding of polytechnic education; and, the
establishment of Polytechnic Commission to
oversee the activities of Polytechnic education.


http://www.tribune.com.ng/news/news-headlines/item/16931-3-months-of-grace-almost-over-asup-tells-education-minister