Students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, on Tuesday,protested against the strike

Students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, on Tuesday,
protested against the strike embarked upon by
their lecturers since December 2013, which has
led to the collapse of academic activities in the
institution.
The students marched around the Mokola area of
the city, disrupting early morning flow of traffic.
Heavy police presence was visible, which,
obviously, prevented the incident from going
berserk.
The students later hijacked four of the state-
owned public transport buses, tagged, Ajumose
Shuttle , sending passengers out of them and
ordering the drivers to drive them back to the
campus after more than one hour of
demonstration.

Some of the students, who did not give their
names, told our correspondent that the state
government was insensitive towards their plight
by not negotiating with the Academic Staff Union
of Polytechnics.
“We have not gone to the classrooms since
December because our lecturers are on strike.
What we do not understand is how long we will
be at home,” said a female student of Mass
Communication.
The institution’s Students Union President, Abiola
Oladimeji, who addressed the students at the
Mokola Square, said a 24-hour ultimatum had
been issued to the government by the union after
which it would take another action to ensure
students’quick return to the classrooms.
ASUP Chairman in the institution, Segun Philip,
told our correspondent on the telephone that
there were many issues that the state government
had ignored despite signing an agreement with
the union in 2013.
He said, “I do not know if the student’s agitation
is in tune with ours or they have a separate issue
that they want the government to address.
“What we are asking for is the 40 per cent balance
of hazard allowance that was agreed to in June
2013. There is under-payment of 70 per cent
academic allowance for lecturers. It started in
2011, but instead of using the new basic system,
the government is using the old basic allowance
rate, which resulted in 37 per cent short fall. It’s a
way of extorting our members.”
The Commissioner for Education, Solomon
Olaniyonu, told our correspondent that the
lecturers erred by abandoning the classrooms
after assurances from the government that the
issues would be addressed.
“We are aware of their demands and the
management of the polytechnic has paid part of
the hazard allowance and it will pay the balance.
The lecturers are not supposed to do what they
have done. We have had meetings with ASUP
representatives several time, and we told them
that the issues would be addressed.” said the
commissioner.
Meanwhile, students of tertiary institutions in the
country have appealed to President Goodluck
Jonathan to end the lingering nationwide strike by
ASUP.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in
Abakaliki on Tuesday, the students said time had
come for the President to personally wade into
the dispute and bring the strike to an end.
According to them, the seven-month-old
nationwide strike had caused serious academic
setback to polytechnic education.
One of the students, Mr Ogochukwu Oko of the
Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Uwana Afikpo in
Ebonyi, described the indefinite strike as
“unfortunate’’ and appealed to the president to act
fast to save polytechnic education.
“What is happening has created an academic
hemorrhage which is detrimental for the nation’s
technological development.
“I think it is time our dear President intervened
and save the nation from this embarrassing
situation,