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Union decries delays in reforms, wage implementation, and discrimination against HND holders as lecturers in Cross River join an indefinite strike
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address a series of unresolved issues affecting the polytechnic education sector, warning that failure to act could trigger a nationwide industrial action.
The union’s leadership, in a statement delivered by its President, Comrade Shammah Kpanja, in Abuja on Friday, said the ultimatum became necessary following years of unfulfilled promises, policy delays, and what it described as the government’s neglect of the polytechnic sub-sector.
ASUP’s demands include the immediate passage of an executive bill to establish the National Polytechnics Commission, a dedicated regulatory body akin to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). Kpanja faulted the slow pace of the legislative process, urging the Federal Ministry of Education to expedite the transmission of the bill to the National Assembly.
The union also raised strong objections to the continued use of external consultants for accreditation exercises in polytechnics, questioning the competence and integrity of some of the contractors engaged in the process.
Kpanja expressed concern over the persistent discrimination between Higher National Diploma (HND) and university degree holders, describing the disparity as a major factor demoralizing polytechnic graduates and undermining the sector’s growth.
Economic hardship facing lecturers and the government’s delay in fulfilling key aspects of the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement were also highlighted. According to the union, outstanding commitments include payment of the Peculiar Academic Allowance and the full implementation of the 25–35% salary review, which ASUP claims has not been effected despite being captured in the national budget.
The body further decried the removal of certain allowances from the federal budget and what it described as inadequate follow-up by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Federal Ministry of Education.
The situation, ASUP noted, is worse in many state-owned polytechnics, where the N70,000 national minimum wage is yet to be implemented. The union also faulted the delay in releasing the second tranche of the approved NEEDS Assessment intervention fund, while the review of the first tranche’s utilization remains pending.
ASUP further called for the reconstitution of negotiations on the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement to address longstanding arrears, including the payment of CONTISS 15 salary adjustments and promotion arrears, some dating back to 2014 and 2019. The union insisted that the government must adopt a more transparent and professionally managed quality assurance system in polytechnics to ensure educational integrity.
Kpanja warned that the union “may be compelled to declare a trade dispute and withdraw services across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide” if the government fails to address the demands within the ultimatum period.
Meanwhile, in Cross River State, members of ASUP and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) have already embarked on an indefinite strike over similar grievances, deepening concerns about a looming national shutdown in the polytechnic sector.
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