Nigerian polytechnic workers to begin strike January 4

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANU) is beginning a warning strike on January 4 next year, the President of the association, Adebanjo Ogunsipe, says.

In a press statement on Thursday, Mr Ogunsipe said the strike will last 14 days.

He said the declaration was owing to the nonchalant attitude of the federal government towards issues bordering on education.

Mr Ogunsipe said the polytechnics and tertiary education system generally have a myriad of problems militating against their development.

“You may recall that for the past three years, the union has consistently presented these issues in our various communique at the end of our NEC/GEC meetings which comes up at least four times every year for the avoidance of doubt,” he said.

Mr Ogunsipe said the association’s demands are an implementation of NEEDS assessment report and the release of funds for the polytechnic sector.

The others are the immediate release of the scheme of service for the polytechnic, which has been on hold for three years, payment of complete salary arrears of minimum wage for staff in the polytechnic sector, and payment of correct/outstanding salaries to staff of the polytechnics and colleges by governors of Benue, Cross River, Abia, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, and Kano.

According to Mr Ogunsipe, other demands are “the constitution of governing councils in all federal and state polytechnics, and the investigation of the Rector of Federal Polytechnic (Oil & Gas) Ekowe."

The union also decried “the nonchalant attitude of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)” payment platform of the federal government to issues of SSANIP as regards salaries of members.

“These problems have the potential of thwarting technological development in the near and distant future if not addressed soon,” he said.

“The union wishes to make it categorically clear to the federal and state governments that continued failure to take actions on all of the issues mentioned above will leave us with no option than to take drastic action to see to the implementation of these demands,” he said.

According to a report by the Guardian newspaper, SSANIP had back in October considered joining the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

This was in connection to challenges associated with the implementation of the IPPIS and stoppage of the minimum wage.

The SSANIP President said, among other issues, there had also been inconsistencies in the release of third party deductions, non-payment of COVID-19 hazard allowance to health workers, high tax regime on consolidated salary, and delay in the release of 2018 and 2019 promotion arrears.