The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) has said that there it will proceed on strike when its 21- day ultimatum given to the Federal Government to address various crises in the Polytechnic education expires this week.
SSANIP National Public Relations Officer, Adebanjo Ogunsipe, told newsmen in Abeokuta yesterday that the non-implementation of the renegotiated agreement the Federal Government reached with SSANIP since 2001 and other fundamental issues affecting Polytechnic education in Nigeria are the major reasons the union will be embarking on nationwide strike.
Adebanjo stated that SSANIP gave the ultimatum at the end of its 35th National Executive Council (NEC) and General Executive Council (GEC) held recently where it noted with dismay the non establishment of the National Polytechnic Commission by the Federal Government which has resulted in the obvious neglect, gross under-funding of Nigerian Polytechnics and discrimination against Higher National Diploma holders even by Polytechnic authorities.
“SSANIP also condemned in totality, the inability of the Federal Government to implement CONTISS 15 despite its inclusion in the budgetary allocation between 2007 and 2009 and decried the non implementation of the reports of committee set up in January 2011 on the issue,” Adebanjo stated.
He said SSANIP is also contending the 65 years retirement age for its members, which it had observed that instead of implementing the agreement signed with it, the Federal Government came up with a circular that instructed the Governing Council of any polytechnic that can afford it to re-engage these category of employees on contract, a position that negates the spirit of the 2001 agreement.
“SSANIP therefore said until and unless the Federal Government addresses the lingering issues that are threatening the survival of Nigerian Polytechnics, it will embark on a nation-wide industrial action at the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum,” he added.