ASUP Lecturers Threaten To Embark On "Massive Protest" Next Week

Next week, striking Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics lecturers may embark on a "massive protest" in the nation's capital Abuja. ASUP president Chibuzor Asomugha declared their intentions while speaking on a radio program on Friday morning.

Mr. Asomugha was a guest at Ray Power FM on their Political Platform broadcast.

He observed that the last meeting between the government representatives and the striking lecturers was held on March 26 in Abuja. Since then, the Union president said, they had not heard from the authorities.

Mr. Asomugha said it was agreed at the last meeting that the government delegation would brief President Goodluck Jonathan and come up with a "Memorandum of Understanding" that would soon be signed by both parties.

Although the Union president did not specify the date of the protest, he indicated that market women, students, lecturers and labour unions concerned with how the federal government was treating polytechnic education in Nigeria would take part in it.

He, however, added that the Union is still seeking an amicable solution to the situation and had appealed to Senate President David Mark, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal for their intervention. Senate President Mark promised to look into the matter after conclusion of work on the 2014 budget. The budget was passed by the Senate on Wednesday and by the House on Thursday.

On strike for six months

ASUP has been on strike since October 3, 2013, with an initial 13 demands that were negotiated to four: the need for a constitution of the Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics, the migration of the lower cadres on the CONTISS 15 salary scale, the release of the White Paper on the Visitations to Federal Polytechnics, and the need for the commencement of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics.

On March 27, Acting Education Minister Emeka Wogu declared that the Federal Government and ASUP had agreed on three issues, with the installment payment being the non-resolved one.

He explained that if ASUP had accepted the offer of two installments, the first payment would have been made in March, while the second would be in November. Arrears for both ASUP and COEASU were over N40 billion, and such an amount could not be paid at once.

The lecturers had previously refused the two-installment proposal, something they have now agreed to, with the first installments to be paid in April.

The ASUP president Asomugha added the lecturers are not moved by the government's No work, No pay policy, saying their salaries have not been paid since March. Indeed, a government circular issued on March 21 had directed the stoppage of the salaries of the polytechnic lecturers.

Also, the ASUP National Publicity secretary Clement Chirman insisted that the Union is not bothered by the policy and would continue to strike until outstanding issues are resolved.