ASUP Issues Okowa 30-Day Ultimatum Over Salary Policy

Kosi Uchenna

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), has given a 30-day ultimatum to Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to put a stop to its Salary Subvention Policy in the state-owned polytechnics.

The Polytechnic teachers made the demand at a news conference organised by its local chapter at the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku on Thursday.

Precious Nwakodo, ASUP Zonal Coordinator for South-South and South-East, said the order followed the refusal by the Delta State government to reconsider its position on the salary subvention policy.

The zonal coordinator conveyed the national body’s stance that the policy be suspended.  

Nwakodo said: “The Delta State government had on April 2022 introduced a salary subvention policy, which provides that the management of the polytechnics contribute 10 percent of the total monthly wage of all staff in their employment.

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“Under the policy, the state government is to take care of the remaining percentage. To the undiscerning mind, this policy may appear logical in line with best practices. However, the reality is that this policy will and has already started having serious adverse consequences on tertiary education in the state.”

The ASUP zonal coordinator said as a responsible union, ASUP decided to raise an alarm over the ills inherent in the policy.

He said that ASUP does not accept the policy and called on the State government to immediately review the policy.

He said the salary policy had adverse effects such as delay in payment of salaries, low motivation of staff, negative impact on quality of education, and impending staff rationalisation.

He added, “Today in the two Delta-owned polytechnics, there is a high shortage of academic manpower. Those that retired, resigned, and dismissed are never replaced.

“The polytechnics have a high burden of ad hoc staff who are being paid by school management themselves and this development is a heavy burden on management,” he said.

Source: Vanguard

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