The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), on Thursday, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address its numerous agitations, or risk the withdrawal of its services nationwide.

Rising from its 96th National Executives Council (NEC) meeting at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, the union called on its chapters and organs in the country to begin to mobilise for the proposed strike.

According to ASUP, the strike is a channel through which it can vent its anger and also rescue the union from impending collapse.

Presenting a six-point communique, President of the union, Usman Dutse, wondered why the Federal Government is yet to respond to its several correspondences.

He noted that only a well-driven educational system would deliver Nigeria’s quest for a knowledge-oriented economy.

The communique reads: “Our union has been in constant engagements with the Nigerian government in different scales with significant outcomes. However, recent events in the sector have reawakened our consciousness to our strategic position in the sector and our responsibility to ensure it does not collapse.

“Our union has been complaining that insertions that undermine global best practices in tertiary education have been forced into the scheme of service currently at the final stages of the review process.

“Critical aspects of the Memorandum of Settlement (MOS) signed between our union and the government are yet to be implemented since 2017, including non-release of the NEEDS assessment funds to Polytechnics and release of revitalisation fund for the sector.”

ASUP observed that the committee set up to renegotiate the agreement reached with the government since 2015 is yet to respond to its charter of demands submitted 10months ago adding that government has refused all entreaties to reconvene the renegotiation.

Dutse reeled out ASUP’s areas of concern to include attempt to forcefully enroll ASUP members into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), non-implementation of Federal Polytechnics Act 2019 Amendment, as well as continued victimisation of union officers.

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