Incessant
strike in the education sector is a sign that Buhari has failed on all fronts
PRESS STATEMENT
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has on Monday, January 30, begun a
one-week warning strike to demand the implementation of the ASUP/Government
agreement of 2010 on the review of the Federal Polytechnics Act.
The
Education Rights Campaign (ERC) fully supports the warning strike. The
conditions in public polytechnics across the country are very bad.
Unfortunately, government does not care. Meanwhile, without well-funded and
fully efficient polytechnics; the quest for Nigeria’s industrialization would
remain a pipedream.
We
condemn the penchant of the federal government to renege or fail to implement
agreement with ASUP and other unions in the education sector. We therefore call
on the government to immediately meet ASUP demands in order to avoid an
indefinite strike which could lead to a total shutdown of the system.
It
can also be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) went
on a one-week warning strike in November 2016 while the Non-academic Staff
Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the
National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) also went on a one-week
warning strike two weeks ago. To us in the ERC, these incessant strikes in the
education sector have significantly proved that the current APC/Buhari led
federal government is not different from the previous Jonathan/PDP led
government. Just like its predecessors, the Buhari government has continued to
deliberately underfund public education, thereby leaving the education sector
in a state of total collapse. We therefore reiterate our call for adequate
funding of education by federal state governments. However, in order to tackle the
characteristic menace of misappropriation of resources and allocations by
school managements, we call for democratic management of all decision making
organs with the inclusion of elected representatives of workers and students
Aside
the non-implementation of the 2010 ASUP/FGN agreement, ASUP also listed other
grievances which include alleged victimization of union officials, non-release
of union check-off dues and undue interference in union activities, deliberate
attempt at frustrating the resolutions of the meeting of the council on
establishments, sustained poor funding of polytechnics and non-release of
CONTISS 15 migration arrears. ASUP has further given a condition to the Federal
government to either close down the system or redeem it from total collapse.
It
can be noted that Nigerian tertiary institutions these days are characterized
with dilapidated learning facilities, outdated libraries, non-payment of
salaries and arrears, and general poor state of welfare. As if it is the
solution, the managements of Nigerian tertiary institutions have turned to
incessant increase in the tuition fee which has not in any way led to
improvement in the learning conditions on various campuses. Instead, children
of the working people are being denied access to public education through the
outrageous charges and as a result, the rate of drop-outs has increased
astronomically.
Against
this background, the warning strike embarked upon by ASUP is a welcome
development. However to gain popular support, we urge ASUP not to limit the
strike to a sit-at-home action. Public mass actions like leafleting, rallies,
congresses and public meetings should be organized to engage the public with a
view to winning their sympathy for the struggle to reposition polytechnic
education. This is also essential to gain the popular support of polytechnic
students who have a lot to gain if ASUP demand are met.
Hassan Taiwo Soweto Ibukun Omole
National Coordinator (07033697259) National Secretary
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