Polytechnic Teachers Vow To Sust ain Industrial Action
THE striking polytechnic teachers have vowed to sustain the current action while negotiations with the Federal Government continue.
President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic ( ASUP), Anderson Ezeibe, who spoke about the state of the strike in Abuja, yesterday, declared his disappointment at government’s attitude towards resolving the industrial disagreement.
He said: “While holding our position in the trenches of this ongoing engagement ( until a time the organs of our union deem fit), we shall sustain the current engagements with the government particularly in furthering and establishing the gains of the engagements of the 6th and 14th of April 2021. Details of these shall also be made known to the public at the appropriate time.” Commenting on the recent appointments of some rectors, Ezeibe alleged that most of the appointees were not qualified for the position. “Our union is disappointed and indeed is at variance with the recent appointment of unqualified persons as rectors in five out of the six new federal polytechnics in the country. We are further taken aback by the hollow reaction of the government in the form of defence to this illegality,” he stated.
He stressed that ASUP views the appointments as illegal, arguing that the beneficiaries fell short of the pre- qualifying criteria for such appointment as stipulated by law and therefore not qualified for the office of the rector of any federal polytechnic in the country.
The ASUP president said the union was determined to pursue its opposition to the appointments to a logical conclusion for the benefit of the sector, the nation and in favour of the rule of law.