Abuja: The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to satisfy its outstanding demands stemming from an agreement made with the union. Mr. Shammah Kpanja, President of ASUP, announced this decision while addressing the press after an emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the union’s demands include the issuance of a circular by the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to enable the payment of its Peculiar Academic Allowance. This allowance is part of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement meant for academic staff in polytechnics. However, rather than provision for payment, these allowances have been omitted from the budgeting template, and the Federal Ministry of Education has not provided a definitive response on the matter.
The union is also troubled by the National Board for Technical Education’s (NBTE) continued outsourcing of the accreditation process for polytechnics, despite previous assurances to cease such actions. Additionally, the implementation of the 25/35 percent arrears of salary review remains pending, with funds yet to be released despite being included in the budget.
Concerns have also been raised regarding several state governments’ failure to implement the New National Minimum Wage. The NEC has also voiced worries about the delay in approving a dual mandate structure, which aims to eliminate long-standing discrimination against HND holders. In light of these unresolved issues, ASUP’s NEC has resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum for the government to address these concerns satisfactorily.