The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, has dismissed the Federal Government’s proposed loan scheme for its members as a mere distraction, insisting that all outstanding financial entitlements must first be settled.
ASUP National President, Shammah Kpanja, made this known on Friday during a press conference organised by ASUP Zone B at its secretariat in the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.
He expressed the union’s frustration with the government’s failure to address lingering issues despite several meetings with relevant agencies.
It will be recalled that ASUP, following an emergency National Executive Council meeting on August 14 in Abuja, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to settle 12 months of salary arrears and other unresolved demands or face a nationwide strike.
Kpanja said the government’s recent response—a letter suggesting members should wait for the implementation of the 2025 budget before any salary arrears would be paid—was unacceptable and contradictory.
“Just two days before our last NEC meeting, the ministry sent a scanty letter claiming all our issues were being considered. But on the matter of our 25/35 percent salary arrears, they said we should wait until the 2025 budget is implemented,” he said.
“We find this inappropriate. Even as a union, we keep track of national developments. It is only the capital component of the 2025 budget that is yet to be implemented. The National Assembly has already extended that aspect to December 2025, but it doesn’t affect personnel costs.”
He questioned the government’s priorities, noting, “If the 2025 budget hasn’t been implemented, where is the funding for loans coming from? You haven’t paid me what you owe, but you’re promising loans. That’s a contradiction.
“Our position as a union is clear: settle all outstanding liabilities before offering us loans—especially when we weren’t even consulted on the scheme,” Kpanja added.
Despite the union’s dissatisfaction, the ASUP president confirmed that the Ministry of Education has extended an invitation for dialogue, expressing cautious optimism about the outcome. However, he noted that past resolutions were yet to be honoured by the government.
Earlier, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUP Zone B, Lumpye Innocent Simji, criticised the prolonged delay in granting polytechnics a dual mandate that would eliminate long-standing discrimination against holders of Higher National Diploma, HNDs.
Simji also decried what he described as the Federal Ministry of Education’s lack of commitment to genuine dialogue and execution of previously agreed resolutions.
He warned that the union would not hesitate to withdraw services across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide if the government fails to act within the 21-day ultimatum.
“Our NEC has resolved that if nothing is done about this long list of unresolved issues, we will be left with no option but to declare a trade dispute and commence a nationwide industrial action,” he said.
