ASUP rejects new approved scheme of service for polytechnics
By Gabriel Dike
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has rejected the new approved scheme of service for the polytechnic system.
The union, in a statement by the National President, Shammah Kpanja, accused the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) of inserting some sections that were not part of the original agreed document by stakeholders in the polytechnic system.
Kpanja disclosed that ASUP collected a copy of a document titled, Scheme of Service for Polytechnics from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
He said the collection of the document was turned to a media show by NBTE despite condemnable insertions, which completely undermines the tertiary education status of Nigeria’s polytechnics as well as promotes the age-long dichotomy and discrimination against holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) certificates in many respects and fundamentally distorts established career structures and progression guides in the sector in several negative dimensions.
“It is indeed a period of mourning for Nigeria’s polytechnic system that after a tortuous seven-year review journey following agitations by ASUP, our polytechnics are left with a burden of contradictions that amplifies the identity crisis rocking the sector over the years.
“We are, however, not too surprised at some of the objectionable insertions credited to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) whose disdain for Nigeria’s polytechnics and its products ranks high in its ‘achievements’ over the years.”
According to him, the union had queried the questionable professional and legal status of the office of the HoCSF in the whole process and was not surprised by the clear display of poor knowledge of the core demands of a functional tertiary education structure with the desired condiments for the promotion of technical and technological education in the country.
ASUP expressed disappointment that rather than undertaking a study of the document, the NBTE chose to celebrate a document that would birth confusion in the sector, deepen dichotomy, accelerate brain drain, further reduce students’ enrollment, ridicule the sector, and further detach the polytechnics away from the national, regional and global community of tertiary education institutions.
“We are also miffed by attempts at the occasion to trivialise our union’s several and well documented battles to align career definition and progression structures in our polytechnics to acceptable tertiary education standards. We equally took note of the subtle attempts to
inject acrimony within the ranks of the staff trade unions in the sector. This is unfortunate.”
ASUP advised the NBTE to exercise restraint in the implementation of the several contentious provisions in the document until such provisions are aligned to prevailing laws and acceptable norms in tertiary education.
“Our union will distill these areas of dissent and will be addressing the media in a comprehensive manner on the developments and the adverse implications on our
polytechnics originally envisioned as centers of knowledge in technical, innovation and technological education in the country.”
Kpanja added that the union would not be blackmailed into an abdication of its responsibility and strategic position as critical stakeholders, warning, “we are placing all cards on the table on the disturbing development commencing with our organ meetings in the coming days.”
