Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ASUP has called on Nasarawa State Government to take immediate steps to pay backlog of promotion arreas owed lecturers of Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia to guarantee unimpeded industrial harmony.
President of ASUP Comrade Anderson Ezeibe made the call during the foundation laying ceremony for a secretariat complex of the Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic chapter of the union in Lafia the Nasarawa State capital.
The over two hundred million Naira secretariat complex project of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia chapter was aimed at providing conducive environment to enhance activities of the union.
President Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics Comrade Anderson Ezeibe stated that the union was running out of patience with the high level of inadequate attention given to Polytechnics across the country by government in areas of funding and workers welfare which according him accounts for low productivity.
He pointed out that lecturers from the Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia had been subjected to persistent hardship due to the state government’s inability to pay more attention to their welfare.
Comrade Anderson Ezeibe explained that for Nigeria to get it right in the area of science and technology there was need for the federal government to take decisive step towards repositioning the polytechnic sector for value addition.
Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia Chapter Comrade Sylvester Aku stated that given the prevailing rate of insecurity in the country there was need for the state government to provide road network within the school and hostel accommodation for the students.
Governor Abdullahi Sule represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Dr. John Mamman remarked that the state government had set aside substantial funds to commence payment of entitlements to retired workers of tertiary institutions in the state.