By-Oke Orhonigbe
Strike actions have become recurring incidents in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. It is one of the biggest instruments institutions of higher learning usually resort to when all dialogues appear futile.
Recall that president of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Anderson Ezeibe, had disclosed in Katsina during a press briefing on the status of the labour issues between the union and the Nigerian government.
He said that academic activities in the nation’s polytechnics may be disrupted from April 6, 2021 if the government fails to meet the demands of ASUP.
The ASUP has, among others, accused the federal government of failure to fulfill its part of the agreement made with polytechnic workers some years ago. Ezeibe also said the federal government was also yet to pay 10 months arrears of the new minimum wage it is owing members of ASUP.
Other issues the union holds against the government are implementation of the content of the NEEDS Assessment Report of 2014 in public polytechnics.
Tue union is also demanding for the reconstitution of governing councils in all the federal and state polytechnics, payment of promotion arrears in federal polytechnics among other sundry issues.
Speaking with Emerald News at Ogwashi Polytechnic in Delta state, a lot of students who happen to be the major publics of the polytechnic expressed displeasure over the proposed strike that might disrupt their academic programme, thus prolonging their stay on campus.
One of the students told our reporter: “I would not want to experience this strike. I have always been so proud of my school as it has never partook in any strike during my ND programme.
“if this happens it really won’t be funny. Our school calendar is already messed up as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and just few months after resumption, an indefinite strike is about to commence
“Please I am appealing to the federal government to resolve any issue it has with the ASUP body to ensure this strike does not kick off”.
Those were the words of Marvellous Moses, a student of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, in Mass Communication department.
An ND 11student of the department of Business Administration who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Emerald News that she is very disturbed with the development as the proposed strike might disrupt her programme and extend her stay in school.
She expressed grief over how the COVID-19 pandemic affected her mandatory four months industrial training, truncating it by three months
“I didn’t learn anything meaningful and now the ASUP is talking about embarking on strike,, this is really not fair,” she lamented.
She pleaded with the federal government to do the needful and come to agreement with the union in order for the strike to be averted.
A Mechanical Engineering student from Delta State Polytechnic,Oghara, Michael Egho, also expressed displeasure over the planned action of the union.
He said: “If this strike kicks off I will be affected badly. I fend for myself and imagine staying in the school environment without lectures.
‘ll be spending money. I am just trying my best to manage myself for now, so I urge the government and the ASUP to settle their misunderstanding so that we who are at the receiving end are not affected.”
