Communique Issued at the end of the 16th National Delegates Conference of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP)

10th December, 2021

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 16th NATIONAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE OF ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF POLYTECHNICS (ASUP) HELD AT ASABA, DELTA STATE BETWEEN 6th – 10th DECEMBER, 2021

The 16th NDC was held under the Chairmanship of the ASUP President, Comrade Anderson Ezeibe the delegates reviewed the progress recorded by the Union in her engagements with owners of public polytechnics and monotechnics in the country; as well as the state of the nation with emphasis on the national economy and security. Accordingly, the Conference arrived at the following resolutions:

1. The delegates frowned at government's failure to fulfil its own end of the bargain resulting from the April, 2021 Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed to end the ASUP strike action. The NDC renewed the demands for the immediate release of the approved N15B Revitalization Fund and the 10 months arrears of the minimum wage owed members in Federal Polytechnics, as well as the commencement and conclusion of the renegotiation of the Union’s 2010 agreement. The NDC further resolved that, should the Union resume its suspended strike action, the government should be held responsible.
2. The NDC condemned the reckless breach of the 2019 Polytechnic Act (as amended) in many Federal Polytechnics from across the country and the failure of state governments to domesticate the Act. For this reason, the Conference called on the Institutions to abide by the provisions of the Act and also appealed to State Governments to fast-track the domestication of the Act to align the governance of their institutions with acceptable standards.
3. The NDC appreciates the establishment of 6 new Centers of Excellence in 6 Polytechnics by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and tasked the agency to ensure that the Centres of Excellence are properly monitored to ensure that the desired impact is felt in the sector.
4. The NDC expressed concerns at the increasing security challenges facing the nation which has direct bearing to the peace, order, stability, welfare and well-being of Nigerians. Therefore, the NDC tasked Government at all levels to find lasting solutions to the protracted security challenges bedeviling all parts of the country.
5. The NDC condemned plans by the government to hike prices of petroleum products and electricity tariff in the country. The NDC pointed at the difficult economic situation in the country driven by policies of such nature in the past including the price hike of cooking gas in the country. The NDC noted that such policies are anti people and will further pauperize the citizens.
6. The NDC expressed concerns at the unsustainable rate of borrowing by governments as such shall certainly mortgage the future of the nation. The NDC further enjoined the government to cut down on frivolities and ostentatious life style of political office holders and prioritize sectors with direct impact on human development indices in its spending.
7. The delegates acknowledged and commended the National Assembly for passing a Bill that seeks to abolish the infamous Degree/HND dichotomy and appeals to the President to accent to the Bill as such will assist the technical and vocational educational sub sector to meet their mandate to the nation.
8. The NDC condemned the non-payment of salaries in some states like Abia, Ogun, Osun etc by the respective state governments noting that this amounts to a breach of contractual agreements between the workers and the government. The NDC thereby tasked the affected state governments to pay up the arrears of salaries owed staff of the affected institutions in the interest of industrial harmony. The NDC equally frowned at the non – payment of salaries for the month of November in some Federal Polytechnics as this display of lack of professionalism in budgetary processes by affected institutions and responsible agencies of government is already inflicting hardship on staff of affected institutions.
9. Worried by the non-remittances of deducted Union check-off dues from staff salaries in some state-owned institutions such as Imo, Rivers, Abia, Plateau, Zamfara, Niger and Kebbi States, the NDC demands that governments of the aforementioned states should ensure the release of the withheld Union dues in order to forestall any form of industrial disharmony.
10. NDC condemned the abrupt suspension of the management of Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri by the Borno State Governor and views same as a clear case of interference in the administration of the institution and called on the Governor to reconsider his decision and respect due process in such circumstances.

CONCLUSION:

The NDC encouraged citizens to support the authorities in securing the country as a recipe for development and further appealed to all Nigerians to unite, irrespective of climes, in defense of peace, unity, progress and the continued corporate existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity.

Abdullahi Yalwa

(National Publicity Secretary)