The South-West zone of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) says it would not support the planned resumption of full academic activities in polytechnics until sufficient provisions have been made to protect staff and students by government.
This was contained in the communiqué issued at the end of the association’s Zone ‘F’ executive council meeting held in Offa, Kwara State, earlier this week.
The meeting was presided over by the national deputy president/zonal coordinator, Chief Ayodeji Bankole; and the secretary, Mr Sunday Akomolafe, as well as Mr the national president of the association, Philip Adebanjo Ogunsipe.
The communiqué reads: “The council resolved to reject any proposed resumption of full academic activities until sufficient resources have been made available to meet the minimum guidelines of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).”
It called on the Federal Government to put in place, sufficient structural and complementary facilities that currently not available in schools.
SSANIP also decried the non-implementation of the new Polytechnic Act by state governments, the delay in the implementation of the new national minimum wage among the state polytechnics as well as the non-payment of its arrears in the federal polytechnics.
The association urged the National Board for Technical Education to enforce the policy of sanctions against non-accreditated programmes on erring polytechnics so as to force compliance with the new Polytechnic Act.
Again, SSANIP drew attention to inadequacies in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), asking the government to address and rectify the “embarrassing shortcomings.”
The meeting called for speedy implementation of the newly proposed Scheme of Service and asked the NBTE to expedite action and to ensure uniformity in the implementation of the scheme in both federal and state polytechnics, colleges and similar institutions across the country.
