Polytechnic Lecturers Issue 15-Day Ultimatum, Threaten Strike Over NBTE Scheme of Service
Polytechnic lecturers from across Nigeria have issued a 15 day ultimatum threatening to go on strike if their demands are not met. The union has issued a 15-day ultimatum, effective from July 8, 2024, demanding the suspension of the contentious scheme. He warned that failure to address these concerns would lead to various forms of industrial action.
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Polytechnic lecturers from across Nigeria have issued a 15 day ultimatum threatening to go on strike if their demands are not met. The lecturers, represented by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), are calling for the suspension of the recently released Scheme of Service by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna, Abdulazeez Ibrahim Badaru, Zonal Coordinator for ASUP Zone A, expressed the lecturers' dissatisfaction with the new scheme. Badaru stated, "These observations and reservations were meticulously discussed during the 110th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUP on July 4, 2024, as well as the Zonal Executive Officers of our Zone of the Union on July 10, 2024."
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The union outlined several key issues with the new scheme, including the lack of consultation with stakeholders, the inclusion of National Skills Qualifications (NSQ) as a mandatory criterion for career advancement, and discrepancies in entry-level requirements favoring Bachelor degree holders over Higher National Diploma (HND) holders.
Furthermore, the division of the senior lecturer position, the introduction of new titles for librarians, reductions in terminal levels for various cadres, and the reclassification of technologists as non-academic staff were criticized by the union. The preferential treatment of Bachelor degree holders over HND holders for key appointments and the lack of inclusion of the HND Pharmaceutical Technology program also raised concerns.
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Dr. Badaru emphasized that the union has issued a 15-day ultimatum, effective from July 8, 2024, demanding the suspension of the contentious scheme. He warned that failure to address these concerns would lead to various forms of industrial action.
