Pay us our outstanding liabilities before loans, ASUP tells FG

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has described the proposed Federal Government loans scheme for its members as “unnecessary distractions.” The President of ASUP, Shammah Kpanja, stated this in Bauchi on Friday while responding to questions from journalists during a press conference organized by ASUP Zone B. It will be recalled that the ASUP […]

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has described the proposed Federal Government loans scheme for its members as “unnecessary distractions.”

The President of ASUP, Shammah Kpanja, stated this in Bauchi on Friday while responding to questions from journalists during a press conference organized by ASUP Zone B.

It will be recalled that the ASUP had on 14th of August in Abuja issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government to address its outstanding 12-month salary arrears and other pressing entitlements or embark on nationwide strike.

The President explained that several meetings were held with the ministry’s officials, NBTE and union on how to resolved the lingering issues but no positive response from the government which prompted the union to give the government ultimatum.

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Kpanja said, “Two days to our last NEC meeting, the ministry gives us one scanty letter that all issues were taken into consideration and the issues of our 25/35 percent salary arreas, we should wait until when the implementation of the 2025 budget start.

“We see this as inappropriate because even though we are union, and we are staff in the Polytechnics but we follow what is happening in the government. We know it is only the capital aspect of 2025 budget that has not yet been implemented. We know that the National Assembly has extended the implementation of capital aspect till December 2025 but that does not affect the personnel cost.

“For example if the 2025 budget was not implemented, where did the government getting money saying to give us loans. We feel this as a contradictions because you have not pay me my outstanding money and you are telling me until 2025 budget is implemented but you are preparing to give loan.

“Our position as a union is that pay us our outstanding liabilities before you talk about the loans, moreso that we are not consulted at all.”

He, however, disclosed that the ministry of education has invited the union for dialogue to discuss ways to address the issues at stake, hoping that the meeting would be fruitful because the government refused to execute previous resolutions.

Earlier in his remarks, ASUP Zonal Coordinator Zone B, Lumpye Innocent Simji, lamented the continued delay and non-approval of a dual mandate structure aimed at eliminating the age long discrimination against HND holders.

The Coordinator noted that the non-committal disposition of the Federal Ministry of Education to genuine dialogue and lack of will to execute previous resolutions on some of the items, adding, “Our Union’s National Executive Council NEC has resolved to issue a 21day ultimatum and if nothing is done to this plethora of issues, we will be forced to take this painful but necessary action by declaration of a trade dispute and withdrawal of services of our members across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide.”