As the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) prepares to hold Its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the body’s President, Chibuzo Asomugha, has accused the Federal Government of insincerity in resolving the crisis.
The nation’s Polytechnics teachers have been on nationwide strike for eight months now. Rather than addressing the issues at stake, Asomugha said government was embarking on propaganda to paint the lecturers in bad light.
According to the ASUP President, “The strike is not to kill the system. The strike is like medication so that the system will be better and if we don’t get the system better now, it’s going to be a problem.
“That is why we are insisting that the right thing must be done. We are actually asking that people should stop looking at when the strike will be over. People should start looking at when will the system improve.
“It is important to us and we desire it more than any other person that this system should not be distracted. We know that the strike is adversely affecting our system but it has gone to the point that it could not be reverted anymore if the government remains adamant”.
Asomugha who confirmed the NEC meeting however, could not assured that the Council would take a decision to end the strike.
He said, “NEC will consider the proposals of government. We have done our best. We were sent by NEC and I can tell you that our NEC is very reasonable, mature and open to dialogue at all times.
“If government has shown enough commitment, I know that NEC will consider it in its good judgment to call off the strike but if in good judgment NEC considers that government has not done enough what it needs to do, well, we cannot predict what will happen at the NEC meeting”.
Prompt News Online recalls that ASUP is demanding for implementation of the agreement the Union reached with the federal government in 2009.
Top on the demands are the twin issue of increase funding for polytechnic education as well as resolving the discrepancy between Higher National Diploma (HND) and University Degree.
