ASUP Strike 2014: Kwara Polytechnics, Colleges Of Education Pulls Out Of Ongoing Strike

Currently, ASUP seems to be losing the fight, as more and more university are pulling out of the current ongoing national strike which was embarked upon by the polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria. These strike seems not to be having effect in Kwara State as the state polytechnic refused to join the strike while the college of education which formerly joined has resumed full academic activities.

The Chairman of the College of Education Association Staff Union (COEASU) of the College of Education in Ilorin, Sanni Ahmed, disclosed to our correspondent, that they have suspended the strike based on the promise of the government to meet their demands, but threatened that the strike would resume if their demands were not met soon by the same government.

Until two weeks ago, when the strike was suspended by the entire staff of the College of Education, Ilorin, the gate of the academic institution was under lock and key, because the union leaders locked and barricaded the gate of the college preventing students and staff from gaining access and studying in their various class.

The protest and strike by the staff was in response to the government’s failure to meet the demand of the national body for improved welfare for members and decayed infrastructure across the colleges in the country.

The state owned polytechnic, on its part, has not joined any national or internal strike in the past six years and this could be attributed to non-existence of a union or body to advocate their causes or fight for their rights too.

The last union leaders were reportedly sacked or victimised out of their jobs by the leadership of the Institution while fighting for the cause of members and this was said to be responsible for staff’s fear of unionising.

We should also love you to note that the lecturers of public polytechnics have been on strike for 11 months, while the colleges of education have been on strike for six months.

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