By Okeke Eunice
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Zone B, has urged the owners of public polytechnics to address their demands, warning that the institutions will be shut down if they fail to do so, as the 15-day ultimatum issued earlier expires on the 21st of this month.
Simji Lumpye, the Coordinator of Zone B, along with several officials and members, expressed disappointment during a press briefing in Jos on Friday, criticizing the poor conditions that the owners of public polytechnics, colleges of technology, and monotechnics in the country have imposed on them.
He stated, “Our Union’s National Executive Council convened its 111th meeting to evaluate the current state of our discussions with the proprietors of public polytechnics, colleges of technology, and monotechnics across the country. During this meeting in Abuja, the union conducted an in-depth review of several concerning issues affecting the polytechnic sector.
“These issues include, but are not limited to, continued reports of misconduct and disregard for the provisions of the Federal Polytechnics Act, as well as the various laws establishing state-owned institutions and governance policies in the sector. This particularly pertains to the appointment of key officials in both federal and state-owned polytechnics and other governance matters.
“There has been no progress on the revision of the disputed and suspended ‘Scheme of Service for Polytechnics’ document and the release of terms of service. Additionally, the second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention funds has not been released. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has also interfered with the usual duties of polytechnic Academic Boards, particularly in the admission of Higher National Diploma students.
“Furthermore, the peculiar academic allowance for members has not been included in the budget for sustained payment in the post-IPPIS era. State governments have refused to implement the 25/35% salary review for members, and arrears for this review remain unpaid in federal polytechnics.
“Members in the lower cadre are still owed arrears from the CONTISS 15 migration, and the renegotiation of the 2010 ASUP/FGN agreement remains unfinished. Promotion arrears in both state and federal institutions have not been paid, and some state-owned institutions have not implemented promotions at all.”
He further mentioned that following the government’s stance, through the Ministry of Education and other regulatory bodies, and the actions of governing councils in some polytechnics, the Union’s NEC issued demands. These include the immediate review and reversal of decisions that violate the Polytechnics Act and other governance policies.
The union also called for “the immediate initiation of the review process for the suspended ‘Scheme of Service for Polytechnics’ document, as agreed during the tripartite meeting held in July 2024.”
“The disbursement of the second installment of the NEEDS Assessment intervention fund for public polytechnics and colleges of technology. An end to all actions that undermine or overlap the duties of Polytechnic Academic Boards in managing student admissions, such as the NBTE’s recent introduction of a student admission portal.”
“The inclusion of the agreed-upon peculiar academic allowance in the budget under the post-IPPIS payment scheme for members. Immediate enforcement of the approved 25/35% salary increase across all state tertiary institutions, along with payment of outstanding arrears, and the release of long-overdue CONTISS 15 migration arrears for lower-level staff.
“Resumption and completion of the renegotiation of the 2010 ASUP/FGN agreement, immediate release of the updated conditions of service, implementation of promotions in state-owned institutions, and the settlement of unpaid promotion arrears in state and federal institutions, as well as colleges of technology.”
They emphasized that meeting these demands is essential for maintaining a functional polytechnic and monotechnic education system in the country and cautioned that failure to do so would lead to various industrial actions from public polytechnic proprietors.”