We will join nationwide strike soon, Bauchi poly ASUP

From Ahmed Kaigama,Bauchi

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) of the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAP) Bauchi has reiterated its decision to join the nationwide indefinite strike embarked upon by the national body of ASUP at the end of ongoing students examinations in the Institution.
The ASUP Chairman ATAP, Bauchi branch,Comrade Bala Mohammed Yakubu stated this in a press conference held at the ASUP Secretariat Bauchi weekend, saying we will not like to stalls the ongoing students examinations in our institution that will end in two days to the commencement of nationwide strike.
According to him, the students have gone far in their examinations and the strike will commence Monday 13 November two days to the end of ongoing exams, we won’t be fair to the students and parents, we would allow them to finish their exams and then continued with the strike.
Comrade Bala said, “the union are aware that all the students commence their semester exams last week which will end Tuesday or Wednesday, we have to join the strike two days after the exams in solidarity of other institutions and the national union indefinitely to make the federal government and state address the problems.
“And we are not returning to the class for lectures until the federal and state government meets up with our demands or we know our stand.
We have been patient enough and we can no longer accommodate it,” He said the indefinite strike action embarked upon by the National body of ASUP is to press home their demands from the federal Government.
“The strike became necessary despite the commencement of negotiations of the union’s 2010 agreement with the government progress report on the those items such as non implementation of the needs assessment report, shortfalls in personnel releases and withdrawal of allowances, conditions of state owned institutions, non release of CONTISS 15 migration, non passage of amendment bill of the polytechnic act, infractions in the appointment of reactors and continued victimization of union officers, “ Yakubu said
He, however, commended Bauchi state government and the effort of SSG Alhaji Nadada Umar and ATAP management for intervening in meeting up the demand of staff and ending the internal strike of institution except for the issue of migration of officers cadres,and shortfalls in some allowances.
The ASUP chairman called on state governors to look in to the salaries and welfare of lecturers who impact knowledge to citizens.
He regretted that, “families of these staff who are our members are either dying or sick or starved for lack of food to feed their families or carry them to the hospitals for medical treatment or buy drugs for their children and wives.
ASUP Chairman in ATAP Bauchi, Comrade Yakubu said his members will comply with the NEC directive no going back on the indefinite strike unless until the national body come to terms with the government.