After being out of the classroom for 354 days, as a result of the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, polytechnic students are afraid that ASUP’s suspension of the strike last weekend will be short-lived.
Those who spoke to Vanguard Learning, VL, expressed worries that ASUP might resume strike again if the Federal Government is unable to resolve the extenuating issues in three months as promised.
Recall that the new Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau met with the leadership of ASUP last Thursday and after listening to the list of the union’s demands, indicated his strong desire to tackle them but requested for a little time.
In a Press release, the ASUP chairman, Dr. Chibuzo Asomugha said: ‘The Hon. Minister has also passionately appealed to our union to suspend the strike in the interest of the nation. Our NEC met and reviewed developments concerning the strike, particularly appeals from the various stakeholders and the overwhelming threat of irreversible hurt to polytechnic education. We have also considered the requested of the new Minister to be given a little time to attend to the issues in contention. As we have always done, we have no reasons to doubt neither him nor his capacity to handle the issues.
‘NEC of our great Union at an emergency session held on 12th July, 2014 at the Labour House Abuja, resolved that the strike be suspended for three months with effect from Tuesday, 15th July, 2014; That lecturers in Nigeria’s polytechnics put in double effort to fully ameliorate the loss suffered as a result of the strike; That the Federal Government should invest requisite human and material resources to ensure that all outstanding issues are resolved within the three-month window in order to avert a resumption of the strike.
The President, National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, Mr. Adeyemi Lukman said that students are worried that “after such a long time, the strike was suspended with the issues unsolved.” He said: “The last time government made such a verbal agreement, nothing was done. But this time, we are hoping that the new minister, Mallam Ibarahim Shekarau, will be a man of his word and bring some stability to the education sector.”
The Student Union President, Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Owolade Oluwasijibomi expressed mixed feelings about the turn of events. “We are very happy about the situation. There has been a lot of jubilation from students since we heard the news.
On the other hand, however, we feel bad about the fact that we were out of school for so long, and yet the issues have not been resolved. We are afraid that in three months’ time, ASUP might resume strike again.
“It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing would be happening; when the strike was first suspended last year, it had gone on for 81 days already and the issues were still not resolved. ASUP resumed strike a few months after suspending it.
We are just praying to God that the new minister can settle the issues in three months like he promised so that we don’t lose more time if ASUP decides to go on strike again.”
The Student Union Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic Ede, Mr. Adewale Saheed also expressed mixed feelings about the situation. He said: “It is a very good thing that the strike has been called off.
We can really see the minister’s efforts at making the system work. But we just hope that everything will be settled on time, if not, ASUP will go on strike again. We believe that there must have been a written agreement between ASUP and the new minister, so if for any reason it doesn’t pan out, I hope ASUP can seek redress in court instead of going on strike again.”
source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/worried-asup-might-resume-strike-poly-students/
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