The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government to address several long-standing issues affecting polytechnic education in Nigeria.
The union warns that it may declare a trade dispute and begin a nationwide strike if its demands are not met.
The ultimatum was announced at a news conference in Lagos by Monday Ojo, the chairman of the ASUP chapter at Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), who spoke on behalf of the national president, Shammah Kpanja.
Ojo explained that the decision was made during an emergency National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, where the union expressed concern over "disturbing developments" in the sector. He stated that the government's failure to make concrete commitments on these issues left the union with no other choice.
Key Issues Raised by ASUP
According to Ojo, the core demands of the union include:
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The non-release of the circular for the Peculiar Academic Allowance.
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The unpaid arrears of the 25/35 percent salary review.
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The continued discrimination against Higher National Diploma (HND) holders.
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The delay in releasing the second round of the NEEDS Assessment intervention fund.
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The outsourcing of quality assurance activities in polytechnics by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The union also criticized some state governments for failing to implement the new minimum wage and accused the federal government of stalling the renegotiation of the ASUP/FGN 2010 Agreement.
"Our members are demotivated by unpaid promotion arrears, with some dating back to 2019," Ojo said. "This situation is unacceptable and worsening morale in institutions."
The union leader also condemned the unlawful disruption of its activities by security agents and voiced dissatisfaction with the government's inability to establish a dedicated polytechnic commission.
