ASUP meets today as FG yet to release N19bn revitalization funds three months after approval

More than three months after the Federal Government approved the release of N19 billion into the nation’s public polytechnics as agreed with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), it has not released the funds.

The President of ASUP, Dr Anderson Ezeibe, gave this hint in an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, saying it is upsetting that the federal government could toe such a path by not honouring the agreement, upon which it suspended the last industrial action.

He said the National Executive Committee of ASUP would meet today at Gateway Polytechnic, Ogun State, over the development.

According to him, ASUP members went on strike on April 16 and suspended the action on June 10 based on the resolution reached with the federal government that it would, first of all, inject a sum of N19 billion into the public polytechnic education in the country before meeting other demands of the union.

N15 billion from the money, he noted, would go as revitalization funds to take care of dilapidating infrastructures in both academic and hostel areas among others while the remaining N4 billion would be for payment of arrears on minimum wages and the Earned Academic Allowances.

Continued, he said, “government promised that within three months it would have finished paying the money and thereafter go to meet other demands as possible.

“That was the basis of our agreement and the Federal Government even showed to us just as it did to the university lecturers an approval letter for the release of the initial N15 billion as revitalization funds, while payment of salary arrears on minimum wage and AEA would come later.

“Now, the three months execution window has expired since September 10th without the Federal Government communicating to us again on the matter or any other.

“So far, it has only met the demands that concern the constitution of governing councils and the visitation panels.”

ASUP boss explained that today’s NEC meeting of the union was aimed at reviewing the development and table the whole matter before the congress to decide the next line of action to be taken over the matter.

He said the meeting would have been held between September 9th and 10th but for one of its former presidents who died in a road accident on his way to the meeting back then.

“So, we couldn’t hold the meeting again since then as a mark of honour to the late colleague. But now, we will meet tomorrow (Monday) to brief our members on the stage of things on each of our issues with the government and then take a position on what next.”

He said ASUP had not made fresh demands but those that had been made over the years.

 

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