FG To Meet With ASUP Over Lingering Strike

Report Reaching Nigeria Education Updates State that in a bid to resolve the ongoing seven months strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, the Federal Government would meet with the leadership of the union today in Abuja.

The meeting is expected to be presided over by the Supervising Minister of Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike.
The Minister will after the meeting brief leaders of the National Association of Polytechnic Students on efforts of the Federal Government to improve polytechnic education in the country.

The meeting is also aimed at reaching an agreement on the last issue yet to be resolved from the list of demands placed by ASUP before the Federal Government.

Under the High Impact Development Scheme through TETFUND, the administration invested N12 billion to improve facilities in 12 selected polytechnics, with each of the polytechnics getting N1billion .

The administration also released a grant of N1 billion to federal and state polytechnics for the
provisions of state-of-the-art laboratories, refurbishing of old laboratories and the training of staff on the handling of newly acquired equipment.

It would be recalled that the Minister had met with ASUP leadership in October 2013 after the commencement of the strike, with both parties reaching key decisions.

Since then, both the Minister of Education and the Minister of Labour have met with officials of ASUP at different points, briefing them on the key steps taken for the White Paper to be released.

It has been on the premise of these negotiations that the Federal Government declared that ASUP leadership should call off the on-going strike and allow for the complete resolution of the outstanding issue in contention.