The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to meet a list of 13 pending demands or face a nationwide strike that could shut down public polytechnics and monotechnics.
The decision was announced yesterday at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja. ASUP President Shammah S. Kpanja, speaking to reporters after the meeting, warned that the government’s failure to utilise the three-week window could result in the declaration of a trade dispute and the immediate withdrawal of members’ services across the country.
Among the demands outlined by ASUP is the non-release of a circular by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to implement the peculiar academic allowance for polytechnic lecturers. The union also listed the non-release of arrears from the 25/35 per cent salary review and the failure to implement these adjustments in many state-owned polytechnics.
ASUP further cited delays in granting a dual mandate structure for polytechnics, the non-release of the second phase of the NEEDS Assessment intervention fund, and the non-payment or implementation of promotion arrears in several state institutions.
The renegotiation of the ASUP/Federal Government 2010 agreement was also highlighted as a key outstanding issue. Other grievances include the refusal of many state-owned polytechnics to domesticate relevant sections of the Federal Polytechnics Act, the continued discrimination against Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in public service, and stalled discussions on the release of arrears for the CONTISS 15 salary structure.
The union stressed that these unresolved issues have lingered for too long, warning that the continued neglect of its demands is detrimental to the polytechnic education system.
In a related development, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has rejected the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), a loan scheme funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for staff of tertiary institutions.
NAAT, in a statement signed by its President Ibeji Nwokoma, described the TISSF initiative as a “distraction” from addressing more pressing welfare concerns. The association insisted that the government should prioritise paying outstanding arrears legitimately earned by its members rather than introducing loan programmes.
According to Nwokoma, NAAT’s outstanding entitlements include three and a half months of withheld salaries, seven months of unpaid Occupational Hazard Allowance (OHA), and the release of third-party deductions for the two months of withheld salaries that have since been paid. The union argued that these arrears directly affect the welfare and productivity of its members and must be addressed urgently.
Both ASUP and NAAT have indicated that failure by the government to act swiftly could escalate tensions within Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, which has been repeatedly disrupted in recent years by industrial actions. The looming strike threat by ASUP adds to the growing pressure on the Federal Government to resolve disputes with various academic and non-academic unions in the education system.
For ASUP, the next three weeks will determine whether its members remain in classrooms or down tools in protest. For NAAT, the rejection of the TISSF signals a firm stance that welfare obligations should not be substituted with loan schemes. The coming days will reveal whether the Federal Government can defuse these tensions before they culminate in fresh disruptions to academic activities nationwide.
