Kogi poly lecturers resume strike over failed agreement on salary

The Academic staff Union of polytechnics ( ASUP) Kogi state polytechnic Lokoja chapter which suspended its strike in July this year, has asked its members to resume the work to rule indefinitely.

The strike which will begin from monday 11/09/2017 over non payment of July salaries was prompted by the government failure to fulfil its own part of the agreement reached witn the union that paved way for the suspemsion of the strike in July.

Chairman of ASUP Gboloromi Samuel Sunday who gave the directives on saturday in Lokoja said the strike is the last resort to compel the government to heed to their plight.

The union leader stated that,though, the 21 days ultimatum earlier given to government to meet the agreed negotiated demands before suspending the strike was not over, the need for his members to collect their salaries cannot be swept under the carpet.

He stressed that the impending strike will only be aborted if only the government pays their salaries before monday.

“Early in the year, Six state owned tertiary institutions embarked on indefinite strike, Kogi state Polytechnics was in the frontline to accede to the government request. We suspended the strike and resumed academic programmes even when some refused to bulged.

“Even when we reminded them of the agreement we had with them to suspend the strike was not kept, we still continue with our work, until when things got to a head that we recently issued 21 days ultimatum to resume the strike or they should hasten the process to meet the agreement.

” We were surprised , when July salaries were being paid to our colleagues in other tertiary institutions across the state ,our members were being left out.

When we enquire, we were told that the state has no money to pay us, even when all the civil servants in the state have collected theirs.” Sunday lamented

The Chairman complained that his members have exhausted all sources they used to borrow money,pointing out that they are starving, and have no transport money to go to work, no tools to work with even primary things like stencils are not provided.

The union therefore urged the governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to immediately commence the payment of July salaries to its members,as “what is good for the goose is good for the gander” to abort the impending strike that will once again paralyze the academic progress of students.

The Chairman , however called on the governor and all well meaning Nigerians to press on the administration to immediately commence the payment of july salaries to the members to avert further disruptions to the academic programmes of the school.

It would be recalled that in February this year, six kogi state owned tertiary institutions had embarked on an indefinite strike which paralyzed the academic programmes across the instructions in the state,

however , the polytechnics had in July suspended their strike but the recent development of government’s failure to pay their july salaries has set another pace for a face off with government of Yahaya Bello .

Similar face off with the Kogi state university Ayingba lecturers led to the proscription of ASSU by the state.