ASUP Strike Is A Devil's Workshop For Polytechnic Students - Adamu

A polytechnic administrator has urged an end to the lingering ASUP strike because it is a "devil’s workshop" that might tempt idle students

Students of polytechnics are left in 'the Devil's Workshop' by the 332-day-long Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike.

This was stated by Alhaji Abba Anas Adamu, Chairman of the Governing Council Board of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu, Yobe State in an interview with Daily Trust.

Adamu noted that the prolonged strike leaves idle polytechnic students in a conundrum that might lead then to crime.

"Apart from drawing back the hands of progress of polytechnic education, it is also giving room for other activities to take place especially among the students. 

"There is this tendency of ideal minds because this kind of situation is a devil’s workshop, anything can happen.," he noted.

A game of two rights

He argued that, though both the federal government and the striking lecturers have may have justifications for their actions, a quick resolution needs to be reached.

It is a very sad development and as a one-time lecturer, I know that the polytechnic lecturers have a case and also being part of government, I also know that the federal government has its own reasons for not attending at once to all the demands put before it by the striking lecturers. 

He however hoped for quick resolution in order to save polytechnic education.

But I hope that the recent committee set up by government to look into the demands of the striking lecturers will soon come up with solutions that will favour both parties and end the strike because it is almost one year now without academic activities in our polytechnics and you know the consequences of this kind of situation.

That Polytechnic/University Dichotomy

Adamu also spoke about the discrimination between polytechnics and universities in Nigeria.

He said the polytechnics are not treated equally with their degree awarding counterparts.

"Look at the universities, they were recently given N200 billion. If half of that is given to the polytechnics, definitely there would be tremendous changes in the affairs of the schools," Adamu said.

"We are not competing and or saying we must be treated the way the universities are treated but we want our own position to be recognised and be allowed to carry out our mandate properly."

There is hope that the strike will end after ASUP's June 24 meeting in which the Coordinator of ASUP Zone D, Mr. Anderson Ezeibe, says there is hope that "issues will finally be resolved."

A full academic session has been lost with a lot of protests all over the country since ASUP started its strike in 2013.