Asup Strike Will Soon End- Minister Of Education

Speaking in Kaduna on Thursday, Minister of State for Education Nyesom Wike, said that the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics would soon call off the strike.
The Coordinating Minister for Education, represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Dr. Masa'udu Kazaure, met with the heads of parastatals under his ministry in Kaduna.
The Minister disclosed that the Federal Government is ready to meet all the conditions of the lecturers, including paying all the arrears.
Last week, the Ministry officials met with the ASUP leaders to finalise the payment of N20.4 bn lecturers' salary arrears under the Consolidated Tertiary Education Institutions Salary Structure.
"I think the ministry is doing something about the strike by the polytechnic lecturers. The ministry has already calculated the arrears of the of the polytechnic lecturers which is one of the serious issues and it is N20.4bn,"Dr. Kazaure said on behalf of Minister Wike.
"There was a discussion last week between the minister and the union and agreement was reached. The minister has raised a memo and now waiting for approval to get these arrears to be paid to the lecturers. I believe that as soon as this money is paid, they would call off the strike.
"If you look at other issues raised by the polytechnic teachers, some of them are at the various stages of completion. Take the example of NEEDS assessment, constitution of governing council, and the government has started implementing all these. So, as soon as we have met the conditions, the next thing is to sit down and clear the problems. The funds would be made available as soon as we get the approval."
The Minister also addressed the issue of disparity between university degree holders and Higher National Diploma holders.
"The issue of what is regarded as disparity between degree and HND holders was also addressed during the meeting with the union. The government has no intention to belittle polytechnic education. At the time discussion was going on with ASUU, the same discussion took place with ASUP. So, I think there is no iota of truth in the impression that government is belittling polytechnic education."