Kehinde Ogunyale
The management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic ‘might’ in no time announce the resumption date for students into session following the suspension of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics two months’ strike.
In a news conference held in Abuja, the National President of ASUP, Usman Dutse, said, “we have hereby decided to suspend our two – month strike , this decision was taken at the end of our National Executive Council meeting. "
He added, “ We shall not hesitate to resume the suspended strike should government fail to review the Memorandum of Action and ensure full implementation before end of May 2019 .
“ This is in view of the progress made in the course of the union ’ s negotiations with government .
“ The NEC of the union , after exhaustive deliberations and in due consultations with the respective congresses across the nation resolved to suspend the current industrial action .
“ This is based on the condition that government commit to review the Memorandum of Action to concretise the resolutions and ensure its full implementation by the end of May 2019. "
Recall that the Former Chairman of ASUP Mapoly chapter Kola Abiola, had announced January 8,2019 in an interview session on Sweet FM 107.1, Abeokuta, that the institution would join the stike barely one month after its commencement.
In his interview, he disclosed that it is usual for the polytechnic to join the ASUP strike but attributed the unanimous decision by the chapter to the inability of the state government to pay their salaries as well as other challenges faced by the school.
Although in a meeting between the school management and the Student Union Executives, the duo reached an agreement as the school management promised to resolve all internal crises adding that the school would resume back to session if issues have been addressed.
However, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Samson Odedina, who spoke at the opening of the 2nd Annual Retreat of ASUP Mapoly, showered encomium on the Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun for providing regular supports to the Institution on Salary Payment, in the face of the challenges embattling the Institution.
He assured that normalcy would return to the Institution as soon as the ASUP National strike is called-off stressing that both the Government and Management are on the same page in respect of regular salary payments.