The Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Uche Chukwumerije, has expressed disappointment at the Federal Government over their response and unwillingness to negotiate with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) to bring to an end the lingering strike rocking polytechnic education in Nigeria.
He stated this at the committee meeting with the leadership of ASUP, in which the Minister of Education, Minister of Labour and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation were absent.
The leadership of ASUP had narrowed down their demands from 10 to 2 and were willing to call off the strike had it been the Government representatives were at the meeting.
Mr Chukwumerije further encouraged the ASUP leadership to be steadfast in their struggle and see that the education sector in the country doesn’t suffer any longer.
ASUP have resolved to continue its nine months old strike pending the outcome of the meeting with the Senate Committee on Education on July 1.
President of the union, Chibuzor Asumogha, made the statement at the end of ASUP’s 77th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos, adding that a meeting of the committee and some education stakeholders scheduled for June 24 did not hold because no Government official came.
