The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Sunday vowed to challenge the Edo state government for banning ASUP and other trade unions in the state-owned institutions.
National President of ASUP, Comrade Anderson Ezeibe, while reacting to the development, described such action as a lazy, uncouth and despotic reaction to issues of the trade dispute in the institutions by the state government in a democratic dispensation.
Comrade Ezeibe said the purported ban is in response to a demonstration by students protesting the ongoing industrial action by trade unions in the state-owned university.
He lamented over backlog of salaries owed to ASUP members in Edo State Polytechnic, Usen, adding that the institution is the worst administered polytechnic in the country.
He said: “It is a contradiction for a government installed through the globally acclaimed rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly which represent the core values of democracy to descend to such level of intolerance to same values.
“The Edo State Polytechnic, Usen, which is the only polytechnic owned by the Edo state government and currently under the direct “rulership” of a certain acting rector is one of the worst administered polytechnics in the country today.
“Backlog of salaries are owed staff, governance structures are severely deficient, infrastructure is abysmal and reliant on the annual intervention of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund; while the maximum ruler of the polytechnic takes delight in obstructing smooth running of the polytechnic by terminating lawful tenures of officers holding administrative positions at will, contrary to the established laws of the polytechnic.
“This underlines the reason why the polytechnic has been running programmes without due accreditation by relevant regulatory bodies.
“Rather than progressively addressing these issues in the interest of students, majority of who are youth from Edo state, the response of the institution’s “ruler” is to hound union officials relying on the support of an intolerant Edo state government.
“We condemn in totality this purported ban as it does not have the support of the law with loabour being on the exclusive legislative list and clearly beyond the meddlesomeness of state governments.
“Our union shall challenge this to the full extent of the law.”
