Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve long-standing issues outlined in a prior agreement with the union.
ASUP President, Mr. Shammah Kpanja, announced this during a press briefing following an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
Kpanja highlighted several grievances, including the non-issuance of a circular by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to facilitate the payment of the Peculiar Academic Allowance, a key component of the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement.
He noted that instead of funding the allowance, it has been excluded from the budgeting framework, with no clear intervention from the Federal Ministry of Education.
He further expressed concerns over the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) persisting with outsourcing the accreditation process for polytechnics, despite assurances to stop. Additionally, the 25/35 percent salary review arrears, approved for a 12-month period and included in the budget, remain unpaid for reasons unclear to the union.
Kpanja also criticized the failure of most state governments to implement the New National Minimum Wage and the ongoing delay in approving a dual mandate structure to address discrimination against Higher National Diploma (HND) holders.
The ASUP president warned that if the government fails to address these issues within the 21-day period, the union may declare a trade dispute and withdraw the services of its members in public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide.
