ASUP STRIKE: Education Is The Lighting Of A Fire

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. It is an easy way for national development so its role cannot be overemphasized. polytechnic education is the strong emphasis on practice-based learning. It is structured to be technical, scientific, educational, practical, and research-oriented.

The fast increase in technological advancement around the world has emphasis the indispensability of technical education. Unfortunately, irrespective of the importance of polytechnic education to national development, polytechnic education in Nigeria has faced many major challenge.

One of the major challenge is neglect of polytechnic education by both the government and private industries. The federal government has failed to develop polytechnic education and also inability to give attentions to issues affecting them. It has concentrated its attention to the university which is the only recognized institution in the country. In addition, the federal government has also failed in funding of polytechnic education.

In the 2012 budget allocated to education sector which were over 400billion, federal polytechnics got 15.92 percent. But federal universities got 47.10 percent, an indication that the university sector alone received more than twice what was allocated to the polytechnics and colleges of education, according to Chibuzor Asomugha, ASUP National President.

on the 29th of April, 2013 Academic Staff Union of the Polytechnics (ASUP) embarked on an indefinite strike Interventions were made by the Joint Senate and House Committee on Education and other concern bodies which led to the suspension after 81days.

On October 4, 2013 ASUP resumed their indefinite strike again. This was because FG and the committee did not fulfil their promise to ASUP. We was made to understood that ASUP initially presented 13 demands which were later reduced to four. The four ASUP’s demands include the need for the constitution of the Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics, the migration of the lower cadres on the CONTISS 15 salary scale, the release of the White Paper on the Visitations to Federal Polytechnics, and the need for the commencement of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics.

As a result of this strike students has been at home for not less than 140 days doing nothing.

At this point I call on the federal government and other concern bodies to look into polytechnic education to end this strike and also call on my fellow student to join me on #SaveOurFutureASUP_F­G campaign using social media [twitter and facebook] to call the attention of the government to look into ASUP demands.

Finally, "He who opens a school door, closes a prison," -Victor Hugo. For there is no national development without education.

By AMADI INYA, HND1
Federal Polytechnic Idah,
Kogi State.