The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Monday, July 15. Issued a 15-day ultimatum to all public polytechnics across the country to suspend the implementation of a ‘contentious’ scheme of service.
ASUP leadership said the ultimatum is with effect from Monday, July 8, for the scheme which was put together by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, the president of ASUP, Kpanja Shammah noted that suspending the scheme’s implementation was necessary as some of its provisions were below standards.
Reasons for suspension of the scheme
Shammah said the scheme’s suspension followed a critical review of the union’s National Executive Council’s document.
He added that in line with the union’s commitment to the advancement of the interest of members and the polytechnics in Nigeria, the suspension of the scheme stands until requisite amendments are effected.
He said, “At the expiration of the 15-day ultimatum, the union’s NEC will reconvene to decide a specific and legitimate course of action to address the issue.
“Zones and chapters of the union are to prepare members for necessary actions within the 15-day ultimatum through congresses, peaceful protests and media campaigns on the issue,” Shammah said.
Shammah also warned that the scheme of service contained significant and fundamental deviations from the one prepared by stakeholders and coordinated through a series of consultative engagements by the NBTE for over six years.
Illegal approval of the scheme
According to him, the document’s approval route is legally questionable as the role of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSoF) as the approving authority was amendable.
His words, “The status of Nigerian polytechnics was again brought to question by this controversial document.
“The tertiary educational institution status of polytechnics is settled in different laws and policy instruments.
“Therefore, the introduction of sub-tertiary level qualifications like, in this instance, the National Skills Qualifications (NSQ) as a mandatory condition for academic staff career growth, is a misnomer as the possession of NSQ has no meaningful contribution to the delivery of the contents of the curricula of the different programmes offered in polytechnics.
“This is again amplified by the sustenance of titles for the lecturer and librarian cadres in the document which are at variance with the norm in tertiary education globally,” he added.
