ASUP Strike - Nigeria Polytechnic Lecturers to Hold NEC Meeting

The executives of striking polytechnic lecturers will meet from March 10 to review the strike and other issues.

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, ASUP, has been on strike since October 4.

The Union's National Publicity secretary, Clement Chirman, informed News men that the union would hold its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting from March 10 to 24 at Yandev, Benue State.

The union's demands include the need for the 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.

In reaction to the union's five months strike, the National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, on February 17, in protest, blocked the gate of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, preventing vehicles from moving in and out of the premises.

The students said the demonstration was the beginning of a massive protest by all polytechnic students and students of allied institutions that award Ordinary National Diploma, OND, and Higher National Diploma, HND, certificates. They insisted that they would remain on the streets until the Nigerian government met the demand of polytechnic lecturers and the strike was called off.

The acting Minster of Education, Nyesom Wike, addressing the students, told them that they should be rest assured that government was doing everything possible to resolve the issues.

Meetings between the federal government and ASUP have been deadlocked since the strike began.