ASUP Threatens Industrial Crisis in Ogun Polytechnics Over Unpaid Allowances

 Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in Ogun State has given Governor Dapo Abiodun's administration six days to address outstanding demands affecting workers in state-owned polytechnics, warning of a possible industrial crisis if the issues remain unresolved.

The union also lamented the inadequate funding of polytechnic education, saying the government had refused to review the N5m monthly subvention given to some of the state-owned polytechnics for more than a decade.

The union, which raised the alarm at a joint press briefing held at the ASUP Secretariat, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, on Thursday, expressed displeasure over the state government’s failure to implement the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance and Earned Academic Allowance in the affected institutions.

The briefing was attended by ASUP representatives from various state-owned polytechnics, including Comrade Sogbesan Adebiyi of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori; Adepero Ogunkoya of Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa; and Comrade Abraham Ogunsanya of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade.

Others at the briefing were Comrade Samuel Okunubi of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo; Comrade Kolawole Adeyemi of Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences, Ilese-Ijebu; as well as Adebayo Adeleke, ASUP Chairman, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

Reading the union’s position, Adeyemi said the ultimatum, which began on October 27, followed a resolution reached at the 118th National Executive Council meeting of ASUP held in Abuja on October 22.

Adeyemi explained that the national leadership had formally communicated its demands to the state government, urging it to implement the CATA/EAA component of the 2026 Federal Government-ASUP agreement.

He said the union was particularly worried that previous efforts to secure the government’s commitment had yielded no satisfactory response.

The union said, “It is particularly concerning that the National Leadership of ASUP had previously written to the Ogun State Government on two separate occasions, through letters dated 5th August, 2026, and 21st September, 2026, appealing for the implementation of this important welfare component.

“Unfortunately, despite these repeated engagements, the Union has yet to receive any satisfactory evidence of commitment towards its implementation.

“Today, Thursday, 5th November, 2026, with only six days remaining before the expiration of the ultimatum, we consider it necessary to publicly reiterate our concerns and call on the Ogun State Government to take immediate and decisive steps to avert an avoidable industrial crisis in the polytechnic sector.”

Beyond the unpaid allowances, ASUP lamented what it described as years of inadequate funding of the six state-owned polytechnics, disclosing that the monthly subvention to some of the institutions had remained at N5m for more than a decade.

The union described the allocation as grossly inadequate, considering prevailing economic realities, rising operational costs and the increasing responsibilities of the institutions.

The association said, “It is discouraging that the monthly subvention to some of these institutions has remained at a paltry sum of ₦5 million for over ten years, despite the significant changes in economic realities, operational costs and institutional responsibilities.

“This funding arrangement is grossly inadequate to sustain the effective administration and development of these institutions.

“Equally disturbing is the government’s lack of commitment to pension counterpart funding and unremitted deductions from employees for several months in the polytechnic sector into Pension Funds Administrators (PFAs).

“This situation raises serious concerns about the retirement security and long-term welfare of our members and other employees who have dedicated their productive years to public service.

“Furthermore, the palliative support announced by the government has not been consistently extended to workers across the state-owned polytechnics, as a majority of the affected institutions are yet to receive the payment this year. Such inconsistency creates a sense of exclusion and further compounds the economic difficulties confronting workers.

“We are equally concerned about the apparent lack of adequate government attention to the development of the polytechnic sector. At a time when technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education is critical to economic growth, employment generation and national development, the state-owned polytechnics deserve deliberate investment, policy attention and sustainable funding.”

The union has, therefore, called on the state government, as a matter of urgency, to commence the implementation and payment of the CATA and EAA in the affected state-owned polytechnics in line with the 2026 FGN/ASUP Agreement.

The union has equally urged the government to “immediately review and increase the monthly subvention of all the state-owned polytechnics to ₦100 million to reflect current economic realities and the operational needs of these institutions.”

“This funding arrangement is grossly inadequate to sustain the effective administration and development of these institutions.

“Equally disturbing is the government’s lack of commitment to pension counterpart funding and unremitted deductions from employees for several months in the polytechnic sector into Pension Funds Administrators (PFAs).

“This situation raises serious concerns about the retirement security and long-term welfare of our members and other employees who have dedicated their productive years to public service

“Furthermore, the palliative support announced by the government has not been consistently extended to workers across the state-owned polytechnics, as a majority of the affected institutions are yet to receive the payment this year. Such inconsistency creates a sense of exclusion and further compounds the economic difficulties confronting workers.

“We are equally concerned about the apparent lack of adequate government attention to the development of the polytechnic sector. At a time when technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education is critical to economic growth, employment generation and national development, the state-owned polytechnics deserve deliberate investment, policy attention and sustainable funding.”

The union has, therefore, called on the state government, as a matter of urgency, to commence the implementation and payment of the CATA and EAA in the affected state-owned polytechnics in line with the 2026 FGN/ASUP Agreement.

The union has equally urged the government to “immediately review and increase the monthly subvention of all the state-owned polytechnics to ₦100 million to reflect current economic realities and the operational needs of these institutions.”