Polytechnics Crisis: ASUP/Govt. Meeting Aborted As Indifferent Federal Officials Fail To Show Up

A meeting on Tuesday scheduled between the national executive of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and Government officials to discuss solutions to close down of Polytechnics did not hold.

Sources say the meeting, which was called by the Senate Committee on Education, stalled owing to the absence of the Ministers of Education and Labor, Messrs. Nyesom Wike and Emeka Wogu, as well as the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Anyim Pius Anyim.

The committee called the meeting following the failure of the Education minister and other relevant agencies of the government had failed to end the industrial crisis in the polytechnics.

In the polytechnics strike, which is now extending into one full year, none of the key issues has been significantly resolved. ASUP executive members said the meetings with the Ministry of Education and its leadership have yielded no fruit.  The Senate intervention is seen as the next big hope for resolution to enable the students to resume their education.   

Some students of affected institutions embarked on a series of protests recently in Lagos, but were violently repressed by the police.

The students professed support for their lecturers' action, describing ASUP demands as being in order and covering the academic interest of students.