Kunle ADELABU
-Gives conditions for crisis resolution
It seems there is still a very long walk to achieving peace and restoring normal academics and other activities in the crisis-ridden Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), as the striking union rejected the appeal of the Lagos State House of Assembly, describing it as ‘unacceptable’.
The union called on the government to do justice to what they termed, “high-handedness, maladministration and financial recklessness, which according to them, characterized the administration of the present Rector, Mr Samuel Sogunro.
While appreciating the efforts of the Assembly in resolving the matter, the striking members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) stated that the recommendations of the legislators presented at the meeting on Monday (yesterday) “are mostly unacceptable to us, particularly on the proper implementation of CONTISS 15 Migration”.
In a release by the union after its Congress on Tuesday (today), which was signed by its Chairman, Comrade Semiu Akinlawon Fasasi, the union stated several reasons for the rejection of the Assembly’s recommendations/resolutions.
Among the reasons given are:
“The Committee also failed to address our demand for the withdrawal of disengagement letter issued to four members of NASU”.
“The payment of all undeducted and withheld Union dues”.
“And most importantly, the institution of an investigative Panel of Inquiry into the high-handedness, administrative and financial recklessness of the Sogunro-led Management”.
The union added, “Alas, there is NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE!”
The union also vowed to continue the struggle of exposing alleged hatred against their members.
“We shall continue to expose the ABSOLUTE hatred being exhibited against our welfare, growth and development of our members and the Polytechnic as a whole”.
Also in the release, the aggrieved union members gave conditions that must be met before they can accept to call off their strike actions that have left the institution in comatose.
“Our industrial action is predicated on a number of demands which are :
“Reversal of our salaries to December 2018 status as the correct implementation of CONTISS 15 Migration. How can a Lecturer 3 in LASPOTECH be placed on Level 8 and the same Lecturer 3 in Yabatech or any other Polytechnic in Nigeria be on Level 9?” the union asked.
“Reversal of Summary Disengagement of NASU Leaders and members”.
“All outstanding promotions and increments since 2016/2017 must be properly awarded in line with migrated salaries”.
“All cases of victimization, demotion, interdiction, suspension should be reviewed”.
“All phantom criminal cases/charges against the Union members be withdrawn, all the undeducted and withheld Union dues be paid immediately and the campus should be immediately demilitarized”.
The union also called for the institution of an Investigative Panel of Inquiry.
More so, the union alleged that the management is set to send the children of the striking staff members whose parents have been unable to pay their school fees, due to the protracted crisis in the institution which has hampered their income, out of school.
“We have information that the Management has directed that striking staff members’ children in the Staff School whose parents are unable to pay their school fees due to the reversal of CONTISS 15 Migration should be sent out and prevented from writing the terminal exam.
“ We shall make the Management to explain who is responsible for the bankruptcy of the parents”, the union vowed.
The striking NASU members also debunked the allegation that they are the only union in the institution affected by the controversial CONTISS 15 Migration, claiming that the members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) are worst affected.
“Worthy of note is the wrong impression being created by the Management that it’s only the members of the Non-Academic Staff Union that are affected by the De-Migration of salaries.
“ The lecturers are worst affected. Not less than 80% of the lecturers’ population are De-Migrated and even demoted, including Chief Lecturers of ten (10) year standing numbering about twelve (12)”.
It was also alleged that the management is planning to forcefully remove the three gates in the institution to allow free entry and exit of students, staff members and others while they vowed to continue their vigil until their demands are met.
“We are also aware of the Management’s plan to completely remove the gates of the Polytechnic but this will be resisted with passion, the reason we shall remain here 24-Hours until our demands are met”.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Olanrewaju Kuye, Speaker of the Students’ Representatives Council, Students’ Union Government (SUG), Rt Hon. Balogun Babatunde and the Chief Justice, SUG, Justice Teslim Abiodun were yet to respond to our requests on the respective positions of the management and the students on the resolutions from the union’s Congress.
Attempts to also reach the SUG Pubic Relations Officer, Comrade John Taiwo, on his MTN line also proved abortive as his line was either busy or switched off on the several occasions that our reporter tried reaching him.
