Following the commencement of nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics on Wednesday, It was reported that different levels of compliance were observed in polytechnics across the country.
While there was full compliance in some polytechnics, the effect of the strike was mild in others.
In Osun, the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke, the lecturers that were found on campus said they didn’t want to be seen as confrontational to the new administration in the state as they reached an understanding on some demands peculiar to lecturers in the state.
Speaking on the non-compliance, ASUP Chairman, Ospoly, Iree Chapter, Dr Jacob Adegbite, said, “We don’t want to disrupt the ongoing examinations of our part-time students. As soon as they complete their examinations, we will join the strike.”
The ASUP chapter Secretary in Esa Oke Polytechnic, Mr Goke Agbaje, said the institution would state its position on Friday as lecturers had not joined the strike.
Similarly, at the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State, the lecturers were seen in classrooms as it was gathered that there was no union to mobilise members to join the nationwide strike.
The lecturers said their non-compliance was because of the court matter instituted against the former leadership by some aggrieved ASUP members.
In Lagos, students were seen taking examinations in the Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos. The President of YABATECH chapter of ASUP, Nureni Yekini, stated that the examinations were being contacted by non-ASUP lecturers.
Yekini said, “YABATECH is 99.99 per cent compliant with the directives of the national body. However, it will take effect gradually. Nonetheless, we have suspended all academic activities in the school. The exams that are in progress, of which two papers are remaining, would be concluded tomorrow (Thursday) but those are the exams being invigilated by non-ASUP members.”
Similarly, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo in Ondo State and Kaduna Polytechnic students were also seen taking exams with promises from lecturers that the institution would join the strike as soon as exams were over.
Meanwhile, in Delta State there was full compliance in the Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara and Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, while Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku had yet to join the strike because there was no ASUP executive to enforce the directive in the chapter.
The ASUP Coordinator for the South-South and South-East, Dr Chika Ogonwa said, “The strike is total in the South-South and South-East. Oghara and Ozoro polytechnics in Delta State have joined the strike. Ogwashi-Uku will join after their election on Friday, next week.”
Full compliance were recorded at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti; Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi; Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto; Plateau State Polytechnic, Jos; Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu; Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta; Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro; Ogun State Institute of Technology, Saapade, Remo; Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Ado-Odo/Ota; D.S. Adegbenro Polytechnic, Itori and Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo.
The National President of ASUP, Usman Dutse, stated that the strike was not politically motivated as the contentious issues started long before 2010 when the first agreement was signed.
