FG applauds polytechnic lecturers for resuming work


The federal government has commended the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) for resuming duties after its warning strike.

The government also commended the union for acknowledging the efforts of the federal government towards the resolution of the challenges facing polytechnic education in the country.

In a statement released in Abuja, Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige said it was heartwarming that the polytechnic lecturers acknowledged the unrelenting efforts of the government towards repositioning higher education in the country.

“ASUP has made a  remarkable difference at a time the usual practice is for striking unions to deny that the government has moved a needle in implementing agreements reached negotiations.

“This union did not only acknowledge the efforts of the federal government, but it painstakingly also listed the demands which government has me while expressing optimism that the rest would similarly be resolved.

“This is the way to go, a commendable  act which other unions in the education sector must copy, moving forward, in the holistic resolution of the challenges facing higher educatiion.

“He assured us that the government would not relent until all outstanding issues were sorted out.”

Ngige, however, urged other unions on strike in the education sector to emulate the polytechnic lecturers and immediately resume work in the interest of their students and the country at large.

ASUP, had in a letter to the minister of labour and employment, notified him of the resumption of academic activities across polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in the country with effect from May 30, 2022.

According to the letter, this follows the conclusion of the union’s warning strike which took effect on the 16th of May, 2022.

The union further stated, “It is important to note that some progress was made in resolving the issues in contention during the two weeks prior. The key areas include the release of arrears of minimum wage to beneficiary institutions/staff; release of normative instruments  for institutions, management and programmes accreditation by the NBTE; resolution to withdraw the contentious template for appointment of principal officers by the Federal Ministry of Education, as well as the decision on the issue of victimised union officers in the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu and non-payment of salaries in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba.”