TheCable

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has concluded arrangements to hold a nationwide rally on April 29, 2014, to express its grievances with government handling of the 10-month-old strike industrial action of the union.

The national president of the union, Dr Chibuzo Asomugha, who disclosed the union’s plans in the face of the government’s intransigence to journalist in Abuja, said the rally would involve students, parents, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), civil society groups, and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union.

Asomugha decried the government’s insincerity and lack of commitment, saying the strike would have been over were it nor for government’s nonchalance to ending it.

“ASUP is supposed to have suspended the strike about three weeks ago but we haven’t heard from the federal government”, he said.

“The federal government, since we had the last meeting with them, hasn’t bothered to reach out to us. So, with this kind of development, we don’t even think there is any measure of sincerity on the part of the government,” Asomugha said.

“We have been driven by desperation to get to this state and we are at the last stage of planning the rally and it is going to involve every stakeholder in the sector: the students, market women, parents, lectures and every concerned Nigerian. And we are planning it in conjunction with ASUP, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, COEASU and civil society organisations.”