Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, chapter lecturers have warned to engage in industrial action if Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun does not meet their demands.
The lecturers have given the state government and MAPOLY administration 14 days to meet their demands or face industrial action.
MAPOLY lecturers’ threat came at a time when public workers in the state under the organised labour had embarked on indefinite strike since Tuesday.
The lecturers, in a communique issued at the end of its emergency Congress held on Tuesday, said their position became imperative following the alleged persistent refusal of the state government to resolve lingering crises affecting the Polytechnic and its staff.
In a communique jointly signed by the ASUP Chairman and Secretary, Babatunde Osifalujo and Tomisi Adegunle, the union stated that the institution’s quality of education had deteriorated due to a shortage of electricity and a dearth of practical materials and equipment in various laboratories.
According to the union, the refusal of the government to implement the Federal Polytechnic Act of 2019 prevented the National Board for Technical Education from accrediting certain courses at the Polytechnic.
Equally, the union urged Governor Abiodun to assume his responsibilities, emphasising that the institution could no longer rely solely on Internally Generated Revenue for monthly salaries.
The communique partly read, “In light of the various circumstances enumerated above, the union hereby gives a 21-day ultimatum to the Ogun State Government and Management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic to attend to all of these issues raised, failure of which shall result in the declaration of an industrial dispute by the Union.
The union listed the issues under contention to include: “The dwindling quality of education provided to our student population as a result of almost non-existence of power supply and materials for practicals in the various laboratories; failure of the government and management to respond to the NBTE normative document sent to the government through the management of the institution; the continuing reluctance of the government to domesticate the Federal Polytechnic Act, 2019.”
The communiqué added: “The sustenance of the polytechnic solely on Internally Generated Revenue; the failure of the government to announce a substantive rector for the institution; the persistent neglect of the Ogun State government and the management of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic to the plight of staff welfare.
“Consequent upon an exhaustive deliberation on the foregoing issues, the Congress resolves and demands: The improvement of electricity supply in the polytechnic, as the non-availability of power supply has become inimical to lecture deliveries and depriving students from having hands-on practicals in various laboratories, studios and workshops.
“The Ogun State Government should urgently domesticate and implement the Federal Polytechnic (Amendment) Act, 2019 in Moshood Abiola Polytechnic as specified by the NBTE as a condition for the much-awaited accreditation and as a standard of measure in running an efficient Polytechnic in Nigeria (please see the attached for emphasis).
“The practice of 100 per cent reliance on Internally Generated Revenue as the only source of monthly wages/salaries payments in the Polytechnic should be truncated herewith as the Union calls on the government of Ogun State to rise up to its responsibilities as the owner and employer of labour in the Polytechnic.
“Moshood Abiola Polytechnic is an Ogun State Government-owned institution and should not be run like a private entity, as such the practice of the government advancing financial aid to the Polytechnic for salary payment in time of need/IGR insufficiency and later claiming it as a loan even with interest charges to the institution or in lieu of MAPOLY’s statutory allocations for several months had further impoverish the Polytechnic and it is not acceptable to us.
“Appointment of substantive Rector and convocation of a progressive Governing Council which we have been denied and negatively impacting on the smooth running of the Polytechnic since 2018. Again, this will redress the incessant delay in salary approval and payment.
“Implementation and payment of minimum wages for workers in the Polytechnic in accordance with the NBTE template, including arrears, as already being enjoyed by our counterparts in the Ogun State Civil Service effective from October 2021.
“Remittance of 55 months accumulated pension deductions from staff salaries accompanied with its counterpart funding by the Polytechnic to the respective Pension Fund Administrators for each member of staff.
“Implementation of all backlog of appointments and promotions of staff, including the conclusion of appointments for 2018 and the commencement of promotions for 2020.
“Payment of over 27 months outstanding check-off dues deductions to the union.”
