By Gabriel Dike
The Federal Government has invited the striking leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to two separate meetings this week.
The first meeting is fixed for Wednesday (today) and ASUP leaders will meet with officials of the Federal Ministry of Education by 11.00am at the Conference Room.
The second invitation for a crucial meeting will hold on Thursday, April 15, 2021 with the officials of Labour and Employment Ministry by 10.00am at the Conference Room of the minister.
National President of ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe, who confirmed the two meetings, said the union will honour both invitation and see what comes out of it.
According to him, out of the nine demands, the Federal Government has addressed only one, the inauguration of the Governing Councils for Federal Polytechnic, adding “one demand out of nine is not enough to suspend the strike. Let us see what both meetings tomorrow and Thursday will yield.”
On situation in various campuses, Ezeibe said members complied with National Executives Council (NEC) decision and that no academic activities is currently taking place in the polytechnics.
ASUP officials met with the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, same day the strike commenced in over 92 public polytechnics and rejected the minister’s plead for the industrial action to be suspended.
Polytechnic lecturers on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, embarked on a nationwide strike to press home the implication of nine demands.