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By NATHAN NWAKAMMA
The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) at Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, in Bayelsa on Saturday said that the institution would remain under locks until its four months union dues face-off is resolved.
The union had on July 11 shut down the institution over withheld June salary and non-remittance of four months union dues of its members.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the aggrieved workers locked up the institution’s liaison office and the residence of the Rector in Yenagoa, and the main campus at Ekowe.
It was learnt that the management of the polytechnic on Thursday released the withheld June salary of NASU members but failed to remit outstanding union dues.
The management reportedly paid withheld June salary without remitting the union dues for the four month.
The Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe chapter of NASU vowed that the institution would remain under locks until the check off dues and salaries are released.
Mr Etebu Ebifiye, NASU Chairman, in the polytechnic told NAN on Saturday that the non-remittance of union dues by the management was a breach of labour laws and unacceptable
Ebifiye said that the rector directed the payment of the withheld salary without remitting check-off dues for June in addition to January, February, March ænd April 2025 which triggered an industrial action in the institution.
He explained that although the Rector had called for truce to end the industrial action, only a reversal of the four months check-off dues will make the workers to shift grounds and unlock the institution.
“We have been occupying the polytechnic’s liaison office in Yenagoa since July 11. The Rector had tried in vain to use force to disperse us by making a false report that we are vandalising the Polytechnic’s facilities.
“Armed security men in four vans came to forcefully open the gates but when they saw no sign of vandalism, they left. We cannot resort to vandalising property left in our care. It is our property and we are poised to protect and not vandalise.
“We have occupied this place and kept vigil here and until the check-off dues is restored, we will go nowhere. The Rector has called me and I told him our stand. We are waiting for him to act and we will unlock the gates,” the labour leader said.
Ebifiye noted that NASU members were tacitly denied promotion as their appraisal forms were not endorsed.
He said: “The rector is not worker-friendly. He has sacked our members in NASU without regard to the labour procedures or due process.
“He directed all the Heads of Departments and the Deans that NASU members should not be appraised, a decision that affects the career progress of hundreds of our members
“As long as NASU members are excluded from the promotion , we will make sure that the promotion exercise doesn’t hold here,” Ebifiye said.
When contacted, Mr Nimizuo Pereseigha, Public Relations Officer of Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, said the Rector, Dr Lukman Adegoke, is out of town and declined to comment on the labour dispute.
Adegoke declined to take calls to his mobile phone and has yet to respond to text message seeking his reaction to the dispute (NAN)
