Polytechnic/College of Education Lecturers Embark on Protest

The striking Lecturers of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, have embarked on a peaceful protest in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to press home their demands. The protesters began the excise this morning carrying placards with various inscriptions among which are “FG meet COEASU and ASUP demands” and “Government systematically Killing Teacher-Education.”

While ASUP is pressing for an end to the Higher National Diploma/Bachelor of Science dichotomy; implementation of Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure, CONTISS, 15 migration for the lower cadres in the polytechnics and the release of the White Paper on the visitations to federal polytechnics more than one year after the exercise. COEASU is also protesting the non-accreditation of some of its programmes among others.

The teachers have accused Nyesom Wike, supervising minister of Education, of abandoning the pressing needs of the unions for politicking and discrediting their members instead. ASUP members who have been on strike for over 10 months say every other option available for the dialogue has been exhaustedleaving them with no other choice than stage the protest to the Federal Government.