Akpoly shut down as SSNIP, NASU commences strike

From Nsisong Morgan, Akwa Ibom

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic (SSANIP) and Non- Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institution (NASU) on Tuesday has embarked on indefinite strike following the non-implementation of their 65 years retirement age and non payment of promotion arrears by the state government.

The protesters who locked up the school entrance carried placards bearing various inscriptions like “65 years retirement age is implemented for non-teaching staff in Cross River College of Health Technology and College of Education, Akwa Ibom State Government implement our own.

“Government pay the balance of 7.5 percent contributory pension, those in service need it. The retirees including those in the grave need this money.”

The chairman (SSANIP) Mr. Emmanuel Ekpo told Fronline News Online that the industrial action by his union was the last option after his union has exhausted all legitimate process to resolved issues amicably with the government.

He added that apart from the non-implementation of 65 years retirement age for non-teaching staff and non-payment of 2014 promotions and payment of arrears by the state government, Ekpo listed other conditions to be fulfilled by the state government before members would call off the strike action.

onditions, according to him, are the refund of the balance of 7.5 percent contributory pension to staff who are still in service and retired and payment of full salary and allowances of principal staff of the Institutions, the non implementation of five years single tenure of office for principal officers.

He added, “we have had both written representations and meetings with head of civil service, the commissioner of education, governing council of the institution since 2011 concerning the different schemes of service in the institution; such as the 1989 scheme of service for federal collages of education and federal Polytechnics, the revised scheme of service for National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) Polytechnics and other similar tertiary institution.

However, Ekpo thanked the state Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel for the prompt payment of salaries to workers even as he commended the effort of the state government in accreditation and reaccreditation of programmes in the institution.

He applauded the governor for the achievements recorded in the past three years.

He said, “It is quite disheartening that our workers, the proverbial birds that lay the Golden eggs has suffered this negligence for a long while without the government to chart a way forward for us, we want an enabling environment so that we can deliver our services.”

Also, the chairman of NASU, Mr. Samuel Essiet, called on the state government to come to the aid of their members.

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