The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) at Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has issued a warning of an impending indefinite strike if the state government does not urgently address the pressing welfare and infrastructural issues plaguing the institution.
ASUP Chairman Dr. Obadiah Ilah announced this at a press briefing following an emergency congress convened to discuss the newly released Scheme of Service for Polytechnics by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Braving an early morning downpour, the polytechnic’s lecturers gathered at the campus, voicing their frustrations and chanting solidarity songs.
Dr. Ilah emphasized that the new Scheme of Service could be detrimental to polytechnic education, highlighting the unfair treatment of HND holders compared to degree holders and the contentious criteria for appointing key administrative positions.
“The new Scheme of Service denigrates HND holders at entry points into the lecturing cadre, which is unprecedented globally.
Additionally, the requirements for key positions such as Registrars, Bursars, and Chief Librarians, and the underrepresentation of technologists are deeply problematic. We, as a union, cannot accept this,” Dr. Ilah stated.
He urged the federal and state governments to focus on enhancing technology-driven institutions by improving funding, staff welfare, and infrastructure.
Dr. Ilah called for immediate intervention to prevent the collapse of Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, citing the lack of staff promotions, poor office accommodations, and dilapidated lecture halls as critical issues.
“Lecturers have not been promoted for over three cycles, and the financial burden of meeting promotion requirements without implementation is unsustainable.
This can foster corruption as lecturers might seek to recover their costs from students. Furthermore, inadequate office space forces lecturers to work under trees, and students face harsh learning conditions,” Dr. Ilah added.
Dr. Ilah stressed that without immediate action from the state government, industrial harmony cannot be assured, and the lecturers' patience is running thin.
