ASUP MAPOLY RESOLVES TO RESUME PART-TIME LECTURES

Members of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics in Nigeria (ASUP) of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta Chapter at its congress on Thursday, 11th October, 2018, agreed to resume lectures for all Part-Time categories of students with effect from Monday, 15th October, 2018, following the fulfillment of part of its requests by the Management.

It should be recalled that an indefinite strike action embarked upon by the ASUP to press home its demands in September, 2018, obstructed academic activities for Part-Time Students of the Institution.

By this development, all Part-Time National Diploma and Higher National Diploma students are advised to resume for lectures on Monday, 15th October, 2018.

Meanwhile, all categories of students, who are yet to complete the payment of school fees (i.e 40% balance) and registration for the 2017/2018 academic session, are being reminded to do so before the closure of the portal.

Drama as student, lecturer exchange words in class room

There was a mild drama in HND1 department of Mass communication following a disagreement between a lecturer and a student.

PCM gathered that the disagreement erupted when a Senior Lecturer at the department, Wasiu Tejuosho claimed that one of his past students often pay him N250,000, a week before Ileya festival, as a means of appreciation.

It was observed that a student screamed at the top of his voice, shouting ‘na lie’.

Following the student’s claim, the class turned a market where noise got to the verge of calling the attention of the lecturer, thereby disrupting the class activities.

However, the lecturer, on an attempt to get the accused student, called on the school securities arresting over 15 students of the class for interrogation before nemesis caught up with the suspects.

The accused student, as at the time of filing this report was dragged to the school security unit for punishment

OGUNPOLY IPOKIA GETS ACCREDITATION, APPROVAL TO ADMIT STUDENTS

The Ogun State Government has announced that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board (JAMB) have granted full approvals for the take off of academic activities at the Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia with immediate effect.

It wil be recalled that some students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta today visited the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta to express their concerns about the delay in the commencement of their examinations and continued strike action of the lecturers which they noted had greatly undermined the completion of their various programmes at the institution.

Although a section of the students displayed some unacceptable conduct while the interaction lasted but as a responsible government, we appreciate their anxiety and therefore assured them that government was working day and night to ensure that all issues relating their concerns were resolved.

Following several inspection visits to the site of the Polytechnic, we are delighted to report that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has granted accreditation to the Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia to commence academic activities in18 programmmes

In a related development, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has also announced the opening of its portals for prospective students to enable them register for courses at the Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia for the 2017/2018 Academic Session.

 This development further confirms government’s position that the interest and welfare of all students of its various institutions as well as their parents is paramount and will always be accorded a pride of place by our government. We are confident that normalcy will return to these institutions very shortly.

 For the benefit of all stakeholders, we like to state that the crisis arose in the first place from the refusal of the lecturers to call off their strike.

 Among their demands is that government must pay them full salaries including the months they did not work on account of an illegal and totally unwarranted work to rule action. For the avoidance of doubt, Government restates that no one will be paid for work not done. And no one will be allowed to hold the good people of Ogun State to ransom.

We call on our students to immediately return to their classes as we continue to work round the clock to resolve other outstanding issues.

Barr Taiwo Adeoluwa

Secretary to the State Government

Monday, 18th December, 2017

MANAGEMENT LOCKS OUT LECTURERS - MAPOLY CRISIS

The Management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Thursday, prevented members of National Executive of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics in Nigeria from entering the school premises.



This development came following the declaration of indefinite strike action by the Academic Staff Union of the institution .

The National Executive Council of ASUP which scheduled its press conference in the school on the ‘Deplorable condition of polytechnic education in Nigeria’ had to hold it at the school gate.

The Union’s zonal Coordinator, Olawale Omobaorun said, “they say we are not going to enter, and we are trying to tow the line of peace, we will stay at the gate and address the press.”

He also claimed that the state governor was after the life of the Chairman of the MAPOLY Chapter of ASUP, Comrade Kola Abiola.

According to him, “the government of the state is after our chairman and that is why you are not seeing the chairman here today”.

“Let the world know that the life of Com. Kola Abiola is in threat. If anything happens we will be ready to face the government.”

The ASUP in a statement by the President, Malam Usman Dutse lamented the sorry state of polytechnic education all over the country.

The statement, which was read by the Vice President, Timothy Ogunseye, highlighted the significance of Polytechnic education as well as the challenges thereof.

He said, Polytechnic education, “if well harnessed will boost Nigeria’s technological know-how, improve ICT, create millions of employment opportunities and raise the level of both theoretical and practical technological literacy.”

The Union said governments at all levels had subjected to annihilation the Polytechnic sector, which according to the statement “feeds and caters for millions of youths and families.”

It cited some issues facing the sector, which include, ‘Sorry state of State-owned institutions; ‘victimization of Union officers; ‘withdrawal of allowances; among others.

The statement reads in part: “Polytechnics and monotechnics belonging to state governments have continued to wallow in deplorable conditions”
It said chapter chairmen in various polytechnics in the country have been sacked “in glaring cases of victimization” while there have been no intervention.

The Union also decried what it called “Infractions in the appointment of Rectors” citing MAPOLY as an example.
It alleged that the new rector was a “retired school principal with little or no experience in teaching at the tertiary level, research and community service”.

The Union disapproved the appointment of Mr. Saliman Tella by the state government, saying there are more qualified personnel in the school.

It said MAPOLY can “boast of about 30 chief lecturers with fifty seven Ph.D holders”.

MAPOLY ASUP DEMANDS CLARIFICATION FROM NBTE

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), have demanded clarification from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), over the status of the newly established Ogun State Polytechnic located at Ipokia area of the state.

Stating this was the National Vice-President of the association, Comrade Timothy Ogunseye, at a press conference in Abeokuta, on Tuesday, who said that the Board must as a matter of urgency published the names of courses it had accredited for the polytechnic billed to take off by December. The state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had at the foundation laying of the new institution, submitted that the NBTE had accredited 42 courses for the new polytechnic.

However, the ASUP vice chairman, faulted the governor’s claim, insisting that the Board could not have accredited 42 programmes for the new polytechnic which was yet to have any physical infrastructure. He said the leadership of the union would not abandon its members in MAPOLY in the on-going struggle, maintaining that the two institutions could co-exist for a period of three years.

Ogunseye said, “Our position in this regard is that there must be a gestation period during which people can move people from Abeokuta to Ipokia. And we are of the opinion that there is nothing wrong if the polytechnic, as well as the university, can co-exist for the next three years. From there, our members can now move to Ipokia, by which time we expect the level of infrastructure in Ipokia to have been upgraded.

“As we speak, we have nothing on the ground in Ipokia. And please we need to correct this impression, ASAP in MAPOLY or any staff is not against the establishment of polytechnic in Ipokia. All we are saying is that where you even do that, issues surrounding staff career development, students’ comfort, all these issues have to be looked into.

“Honestly, if that programme is to work, we expect the government to spearhead a mass house revolution in Ipokia where accommodation would be made available for staff and students and where classroom blocks, laboratories, workshops, all those things would have been built before we consider the movement at all. “Otherwise, all they are just trying to do now is to go around it and asking our colleague to be facing all this hardship and sufferings, and we are saying all these things should not be. “We are not doing this because of our members alone but because of the students which the institution will produce.”

Similarly speaking, the ASUP coordinator, Zone C, Wale Omoobaorun, said that only 27 programmes were accredited by NBTE. He said that the union was not against the establishment of the new polytechnic, but that government should have a robust discussion with the union on the transition.

MAUSTECH Unrealistic, ‘A Wild Goose Chase’ – ASUP

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, (MAPOLY) branch, Abeokuta, has described as a ‘wild goose chase’, the plan by the Ogun State Government to establish Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology, in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The union, equally expressed doubts over the state government’s capacity and ability to fund the new university in a sustainable manner, considering that salaries of the MAPOLY staff were being paid from students’ school fees.

Rising from a special congress to review the proposed university, yesterday, the union, in a communiqué signed by the ASUP state chairman, Mr. Kola Abiola, the union declared it no longer have confidence in the membership and activities of the transition committee led by former Executive Secretary, National University Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola.

The communiqué read in part: “What are the resources on ground to facilitate the approval to commence operations in the proposed Ogun State Polytechnic? How is MAUSTECH and the new Ogun State Polytechnic going to be funded, especially the funding of overhead costs in the short run?

“How do we ensure on a sustainable basis, the payment of salaries of over seven hundred (700) existing staff of MAPOLY? This is a pertinent question, given the fact that presently, salaries are mainly sourced from school fees paid and especially now that admission is being suspended and even the new university and Ogun State Polytechnic will of necessity admit less numbers of students (both being new institutions of learning respectively?”

The union, however, noted that the transition committee had lost its relevance, submitting “ASUP MAPOLY chapter is strongly in support of the establishment of Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology.”

NASU, ASUP MAPOLY CHAPTER DISAGREE WITH THE TRANSITION COMMITTEE OVER THE PROPOSED DISMISSAL OF OVER 250 STAFFERS IN MAPOLY

It is no more news that the prestigious polytechnic in Abeokuta, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic has been converted into a university of science and technology under the effective administration of his Excellency, Governor Ibikunle Amosun CON, FCA.

The transition committee which is being chaired by Professor Peter Okebukola, has ordered the sack of over 250 workers in the institution and call for a fresh application for those that are eligible to work in the newly established University.

This corroborates the fact that all workers are being automatically sacked by the committee and which they tend to reapply as fresh applicants into the institution.

Aftermath of the board meeting yesterday, which encompassed the transition committee and all recognised bodies in the institution, it was unanimously agreed that such inhuman decision would not be taken by all staffers of the polytechnic.

All bodies, NASU and ASUP including the students of the school, made a huge convergence at the school entrance this morning, 12th July, 2017 to show a prompt unacceptance to the dismissal of all workers and to restrict all activities on campus. Students have lamented for a quick resolution so as not to jeopardize their academic Career and hold the academic activities into ransom.

We however use this medium to urge the responsive and responsible Ogun state government ably led by his Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun  CON, FCA to implement a swift antidote to the situation and allow peace to reign in the institution and state as large.

In result of that, we all know that "a stitch in time saves nine", this is the only solution we need before situation goes out of hands. More information to come.

Federal Government Appeal to Polytechnics Lecturers To Call Off Strike

On Tuesday, January 31, the federal government while speaking through a representative in Abuja indicated that it would implement the ‘No work, No pay’ rule on polytechnic lecturers currently on strike.

Chris Ngige who is the minister of labour and employment, appealed with the lecturers involved in the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) industrial action, to suspend their 5-day warning strike. The lecturers had embarked on the warning strike on Monday to protest non-payment of salaries among other issues.

According to NAN, Ngige said: “I wish to remind the Trade Unions that there is nothing like a “Warning Strike” in our National Industrial Relations System (NIRS)."

The minister said the strike was subject to all the rules governing strike in the world of work. Noting that Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP. T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, LFN, 2004, would be applied regarding the law of “No Work No Pay’’.

He assured listeners that the FG was ready and willing to fully dialogue with the members of the union. “The union had declared its intention to embark on a 5-day warning strike, effective from January 31, 2017.

“Government will open an unhindered channel of communication with all stakeholders and shall maintain this. “Moreover, the Federal Ministry of Education has been discussing issues with ASUP on the concerns raised.

“Therefore, it is important for Trade Unions to embrace social dialogue in the pursuit and attainment of the economic and social interests of their members anchored on equity, natural justice and agreed procedures," he concluded.

The minister, therefore, appealed to the trade unions to embrace dialogue as the Federal Government is fully committed to peaceful resolution of all the issues at stake.

Meanwhile, only recently, President Muhammadu Buhari had to appeal to the leadership of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) to call off their strike, and to understand that the nation is in recession, hence the inability of his government to meet their demands.