The House of Representatives yesterday waded into the over ten-months old rift between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP). The resolution of the House came barely 24 hours after the protest staged by members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU)
in Abuja.
The unions, during the protest, alleged that the government was unwilling to resolve the strike.
The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion brought under matters of urgent national importance by a member, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe (PDP-Imo) on the need for the House to
intervene in the issue by interacting with both the Federal and the striking unions.
Igbokwe said there is danger in the fact that the affected students have been staying at home.
He said: “It is worrisome that the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education have been shut down for ten months, more so that ASUP and COEASU began their
agitation even before the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on their strike.”
The lawmaker said the House tried intervening in the crisis previously, but expressed regrets that the agitations of the unions have not been attended to.
“The continuous closure of these institutions is inimical to the well-being of our society,” he said.
Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Rose Okoh ( PDP-Cross River), while speaking, faulted the Federal Government for not implementing the
agreements reached between both parties.
The lawmaker, who partook in earlier resolution of the ASUU crisis, said the agitations of ASUP-COEASU were not well handled.
