ASUP Strike Looms As 3-Months Grace Period Ends

Polytechnic students are facing another long stay at home as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) prepares for another showdown after the Federal Government's failure to meet its demands despite a three-month window.

ASUP and the Colleges of Education Staff Union (COASU) had both suspended their strikes, 10-month-old and six-months-old respectively following appeals by the then newly appointed Minister of Education,Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

Shekarau has asked for the unions to give the government to iron out all pending issues.

But, with the expiration of the grace period on the 15th of October 2014, ASUP National President, Dr Chibuzor Asomugha, says the union is considering options, including a return to the trenches, reports.

“Recently, ASUP met with Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics and Non-Academic Staff Union and we are beginning to strategise," Asomugha said.

"I will not be in a hurry to say there will be another strike; neither will I be in a hurry to say there will not be.

"Students are becoming restive and members of the union are equally becoming restive; and it is on this basis our union will not be in hurry to make a stand."

He however added that, with ASUP "still battling to ameliorate the effect" of the suspended strike is still, the union "may have to meet some more among ourselves so as to determine which way to go."

"The only body of our union that can determine if there will be a strike is NEC."

It will be recalled that, in September, ASUP's South-West Zonal Coordinator, Dosumu Babatunde, asked the Federal Government to fulfil its agreements with the union before the three-month grace period ends.