BREAKING: MAPOLY joins ASUP national strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta have joined the national strike of the Union.

Chairman ASUP MAPOLY Chapter, Mr. Chibuzor Osifalujo disclosed this to Press Club MAPOLY on Tuesday.

This is coming after the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) announced the commencement of an indefinite strike.

Anderson Ezeibe, President of the Union, had told newsmen at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday morning that members of the union have agreed to shut all the Nigerian Polytechnics and monotechnics until their demands are met.

MAPOLY ASUP Chairman when contacted confirmed that the Polytechnic is joining the nationwide strike.

He simply said " Yes, we are joining the ASUP national strike".

Also, the Head Public Relations and Protocol Officer of the Polytechnic, Mr. Yemi Ajibola confirmed that MAPOLY lecturers have joined the national strike of the Union already.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government had on Monday held an emergency meeting with the Union to avert the strike, ASUP resolve to shut down polytechnics in the country.

ASUP National President, Ezeibe, at the press briefing held with newsmen said that the members of the union had resolve to shut down all Polytechnics across the country enforced effectively from 12:00 am of 6th April.

Ezeibe said “Today, therefore, marks Day 1 of the execution of the resolutions of our union as already, academic activities have been shut down in ALL PROGRAMS run in Polytechnics and like institutions across the nation effective 00:00 hrs of 6th of April, 2021.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the following demands were communicated to the government through the Ministries of Education; as well as Labour and Employment and indeed other ministries where our members offer services through various monotechnics.”

ASUP listed one of their demands as non-implementation of NEEDS Assessment report of 2014 in the sector nor release of any revitalization fund to the sector despite assurances since 2017.

The union also said the non-reconstitution of governing councils in Federal Polytechnics and many state-owned institutions has led to the disruption of governance and administrative processes in the institutions since May 2020.

This, according to the union, undermined the renegotiation of the union’s 2010 agreement with the government as such was unilaterally suspended by the government for over 2 years.

Ezeibe added, “The non-release of the 10-month arrears of minimum wage owed our members in Federal Polytechnics and non-implementation of the same in several state-owned institutions.

“This is despite a directive for the payment of these arrears since December 2019.

“Continued victimization of officials of our union as seen in Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu; Federal Polytechnic, Mubi; as well as Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

“This situation has degenerated to the clamping down and brazen illegal seizure of the properties of our union by the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa”.