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THE SUN NEWSPAPER: FEDPOLY BAUCHI STAFF PROTEST, ACCUSE RECTOR OF HIGH-HANDEDNESS



Fedpoly Bauchi staff protest, accuse Rector of high-handedness

— 29th August 2017

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the academic and non-academic staff of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, on Tuesday, staged a massive protest against the management of the Polytechnic over non-payment of accumulated 27 months allowances among other issues.

The protesting staff, which included the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANUP) and the Non AcademicStaff of Nigerian Polytechnic (NASUP), resolved to join the branch’s Academic Staff of Polytechnic (ASUP) over the issues under contention..

Carrying placards and singing solidarity songs, the striking staff vowed not to suspend their indefinite strike action until their needs were properly met by the management of the polytechnic led by Dr. Musa Shuibu.

Among several issues under contention, the striking staff called on the Rector to carry out the implementation of the July 2014, 2015 and 2016 promotions and the non-payment of enhancement arrears.

Other issues they also complained demandedbout was the non-payment of arrears of shortfall in their salary since 2016, non-payment of CONTISS 15 arrears for the lower cadre since 2013 and called on the rector to stop the 7.5 per cent pension deduction from their net salary saying “This is double deduction”

The protesting staff of the polytechnic also called on the management to stop new staff employment “until we are paid all the outstanding staff bebefits. No to illegal recruitment”, they chanted, saying “What is the actual number of staff on the polytechnic pay roll? We need to know

They want the rector to account for millions of unused personnel cost at the end of the month after salary payment from February to August 2017 demanding for the balance, and asking “where is the money?”

They also criticised the management for its failure to organise convocation in the last seven years, inadequacies in laboratories and workshops all over the polytechnic  even as they decried lack of improvement of students’ welfare in the polytechnic

Addressing journalists during the protest, Chairman of the Joint Action Committee of the polytechnic, Comrade Ahmed Musa Mukaddas, said they decided to take collective action because of the high-handedness of the Rector, Dr. Musa Shuibu.

Mukaddas, who  addressed the press in company with the SSANU Chairman, Comrade Isaac Onokogwo and NASUP’s Chairman Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed, said they had held their peace for a long time because of the interventions of prominent persons including the Emir of Bauchi, Dr. Sulieman Adamu and the National bodies of the unions.

The chairman, however, warned  members of unions not to attend any assignment or interview organised by the management until their demands were met.

Mukkadas alleged:  “The management invited some of his members for promotional exam while they are aware of the strike so they want to bring dis unity among us. So we must boycott the promotional exam, Any member that disobeys the union instruction will be dealt with.

The JAC also accused the Rector of illegal recruitment of staff saying “the management must stop new staff employment until we are paid all the outstanding staff benefits, they can not be recruiting while we are not receiving our benefit” he said

The staff of the polytechnic who matched round the polytechnic premises carried placards which read “the security system has collapsed in the polytechnic, no to illegal recruitment, non payment of enhancement arrears among others.