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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Isa Mustapha Agwai Lafia has joined the two-week warning strike declared by the national body of the union to press home its demand for better welfare.
Comrade Silvester Aku who is Chairman of the union made the disclosure at the Polytechnic while briefing reporters on Tuesday in Lafia.
According to him the strike was in compliance with the directive by the national headquarters in line with the decision reached at the National Executive Council meeting of the union held in Abuja.
Comrade Aku said the action which became unavoidable was due to the failure of the Federal Government to meet the demands of the union as contained in the Memorandum of Action signed in 2021.
He explained that the union had embarked on strike sometimes in 2021 but suspended it after the President Muhammadu Buhari approved N15 billion as part of revitalisation funds.
He however, explained that the government failed to released the approved funds and to address other issues, adding that the union was left with no option but to speak the language that the government understands better.
He alleged that the government had failed to released the agreed N15 billion revitalisation funds and pay arrears of the national minimum wage among others.
“Nine months after the suspension of our industrial action the government was yet to meet some of the demands as contained in the MoA signed before the suspension of the strike,” he added.
The Chairman said academic staff at the Polytechnic have complied with the directive in its entirety and would continue to stay away from their offices until further directives from their headquarters.
On the welfare of their members at the Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia, the Chairman said they do not have office accommodations as required by the Polytechnic regulating bodies.
He said that Chief lecturers that were supposed to have their own offices, where unfortunately sharing one office to five or six lecturers.
The ASUP Chairman also appealed to Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State to implement the outstanding promotions of their members from 2018 to date among other welfare issues to motivate them for better productivity.
