ASUP Strike - No Going Back on Demands Says Asup

Two months into its nationwide strike, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, said yesterday that there was no going back on its demands, insisting that unless all issues that caused the strike were addressed, the action would continue.   This came as the union rejected the discriminatory cut-off points for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education and called for harmonization of the cut-off points into tertiary institutions in the country.   ASUP had called out its members on a nationwide strike in protest against government’s refusal to implement agreement on bothering on welfare and other sundry issues.   The union, after its 74th National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, expressed concern over the non-chalant attitude of government towards exercising the political will to meet the demands which led to the strike.   It said the NEC appreciated the understanding shown by students, parents and guardians over the on-going strike and called on other stakeholders to show similar understanding and work with it towards strengthening the polytechnic sector in Nigeria.   Calling on government to stop paying lip-service to the technical education sector in the country, the union demanded that polytechnic education be properly and adequately funded.   It also condemned perceived discrimination against polytechnic graduates at entry and career progression in public service and canvassed a level-playing ground for graduates from the various tertiary institutions.   It further condemned the growing level of corruption in the country’s public service, asking government to be more proactive in handling the challenges.   “NEC frowns at the leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and calls on the governors to conduct themselves in line with democratic principles to safeguard the political future of the nation”.   “NEC commends the steps so far taken by Government in curbing the security challenges in some states of the country and calls for more efforts to be made to safeguard lives and properties of the citizenry,” the union said.   On the new Income Tax, NEC called for an immediate downward review of it to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerian workers.