By Abdullahi Faruk Birnin Kebbi
Mr Anderson Eziebe, the President of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), has urged the Federal Government to review curriculum and address issue of staff remuneration to retain qualified personnel in the country.
Eziebe made the call during a one-day official visit to brainstorm with members on issues militating against the union in Birni Kebbi
He said,” We call on Federal Government to review curriculum and address issue of staff remuneration to retain qualified personnel in the country.
” I want to assure our members of sincere and productive collective bargaining process on our demands with the government.
“We also renewed call for conclusion of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement renegotiation, saying it would usher in an improved and acceptable wage review that reflects current economic realities.”
He said that the union had undertaken a review of the recent approval and release of a new wage structure for polytechnics, as communicated through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
“Following the review process by his team, ASUP is calling on the Federal Government to revise the new salary structure, which reflects an increase of 35 per cent for chief lecturers, and 25 per cent for other layers of staff in the CONPCASS salary structure,” he said.
Ezeibe noted that the increase is a slight adjustment to the offer of 35 per cent and 23.5 per cent made by the government during renegotiation of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement in July 2022, adding that the decision fell short of demand.
He said while the union was considering the offer last year, the renegotiation process thereafter went into hiatus, as the government team failed to resume the process.
“While it is instructive to underline our acknowledgement of the approved adjustment in our salaries as positive, we call on the government to ensure immediate implementation and release of the arrears.
“It is equally important to note that the offer was made by the government before the latest and current economic downturn, occasioned by the removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit in May, 2023.
“It, therefore, goes without saying that the positives expected from this move by the government have already been severely undermined by the current marketplace realities, and we expect the government to note this,” Eziebe said.
The president said, “Polytechnics education is not encouraged. In some Polytechnics, students population is less than 1000 while some state governors change their Polytechnics to universities instead of developing them.
“Government is demarketing Polytechnic education through their policies. The law that established Polytechnic education must be reviewed to meet emerging realities in our nation’s technological development.”
Earlier, Dr Zubairu Usman, the state Chairman of ASUP, thanked the president for the visit, assuring the members of the union to greater heights.
He also thanked him for given the state branch the mandate to hold the 2023 annual conference.
