ASUP decries low allocation for education in 2016 budget

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has called on the federal government to urgently address what it termed   ‘defective bearing of the 2016 federal budget’ against the education sector in general and the polytechnic sub-sector in particular. In a communiqué released at the end of the 83rd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUP […]

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has called on the federal government to urgently address what it termed   ‘defective bearing of the 2016 federal budget’ against the education sector in general and the polytechnic sub-sector in particular.
In a communiqué released at the end of the 83rd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUP held at Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia  recently,  the union decried  the delay in passing of the bill for the amendment of the Polytechnics Act and the non-implementation of the report of the NEEDS Assessment of the polytechnics in Nigeria.
A statement, jointly signed by ASUP president and Secretary General Usman  Dutse  and Anderson Ezeibe, respectively,  noted  the recurrent delay in payment of staff salaries, especially in state-owned   polytechnics and monotechnics.
ASUP described as worrisome the delay in promotions and payment of benefits by the management of some polytechnics/monotechnics as well as the continued dichotomy between polytechnics and university graduates in the country.
“NEC strongly called upon the federal government to address the defects in the 2016 budget especially as it affects the education sector in general and the polytechnic  sector in particular, and revert the cut in personnel cost within three weeks of this communiqué in order to avert any industrial disharmony that may follow.
“NEC passionately called on the national assembly to without delay, pass the bill for the amendment of the Polytechnic Act to reflect contemporary realities.
“NEC frowned at the perennial inhuman delay in the payment of staff salaries in the polytechnic sector and strongly urged the concerned government agencies to take immediate steps to pay all arrears of salary without further delay.”
  The union said it viewed with contempt the unwholesome meddling of some polytechnic managements in the affairs of the union through victimisation of active members in the chapters and urged COHEADs to call their members to order to forestall truncating the already fragile academic peace on campuses.