- Non implementation of the agreed 2% academic allowance is part of the demands of the lecturers
- The institution is yet to react to the strike as of the time of this report
The Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), in Bayelsa, has members who have gone on indefinite strike citing bad working conditions, including unpaid academic allowances and promotion arrears.
The decision to strike is stated in a statement that was provided to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Yenagoa and co-signed by ASUP Chairman Comrade Agada Franklin and General Secretary Justin Ikirigo.
According to the union, the decision to go on strike was made at an emergency congress on Monday over a number of problems that would be damaging to the organisation’s members.
NAN learnt that a stakeholders’ meeting, led by Amb. Godknows Igali, on Monday to convince the aggrieved academic staff to shelve the strike, ended in deadlock as the union insisted that only the implementation of its demands will make its members back down.
The meeting also attended by traditional rulers from the host communities in Southern Ijaw, union leaders, the polytechnic management and student representatives was postponed to Tuesday.
The union frowned at the non implementation of accumulated promotion arrears for the years of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 and non implementation of annual incremental steps and its arrears from January 2023 to date.
Other demands by the striking lecturers include the non implementation of the agreed 2% academic allowance, refusal to pay imprest, infrastructural decay in the campus, especially classrooms, desks and teaching aids.
“It recalled that the union suspended an earlier strike, embarked upon on 6th of August, on the 31st of August, 2022, and issued notices of further strike actions between 6th December, 2022, and 10th March, 2023.
“It made the following demands – the promotion implementation and salary arrears; 2018 promotion arrears, 2019 promotion arrears, 2020 promotion implementation and its arrears, 2021 promotion implementation and its arrears, and 2022 promotion implementation and its arrears till date.
“The 2023 Implementation of annual incremental step and its arrears from January, 2023 to date, the agreed 2% academic allowance, Imprest, removal of Infrastructural decay in the campus (Classrooms, Desks, and teaching aids) – were also on its demand list.
“The lecturers bemoaned the running of the institution from the liaison office after one decade of establishment, poor security in the campus, unkempt working environment and poor power supply that has cripple academic activities.
“In the light of the these observations, congress resolved that effective from Monday, 10th of July, 2023, the union shall embark on an indefinite strike,” the congress said in its communique.
The Rector, Dr Agbabiaka Adegoke, declined comments when contacted and did not respond to telephone calls and short message service (SMS) requesting his response.
However, several sources confirmed that the Igali-led mediatory meeting is still in session.