By John Odunayo
BOTHERED by the implication of some provisions in the new Scheme of Service released by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) on the polytechnic system, members of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) from different axes in the Southwest gathered to call for amendment to it.
The ASUP leaders from Ekiti, Kwara and Ondo states who gathered at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, were joined by the Zonal Coordinator, Adekunle Masopa, for the all-important press conference on the subject.
The polytechnic teachers cautioned against any move capable of worsening the country’s present economic situation by making it completely import dependent, saying the new Scheme of Service released by the NBTE could kill the polytechnic education and by extension, production in the country.
The text of the press conference was signed by ASUP chairmen – Adebayo Daramola (Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti), Ade Arikawe (Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo), Ademola Adewumi (Federal Polytechnic, Ile Oluji), Dr Kayode Sule (Federal College of Agriculture, Akure), Victor Oluwatuyi (College of Health Technology, Ijero Ekiti) and Dr M.I Atilola (Federal Polytechnic, Offa).
The chairmen, in the conference addressed by ASUP FPA Chairman, Daramola, said that the Ekiti, Kwara and Ondo chapters backed the ultimatum given by their national body to NBTE to suspend the Scheme of Service so that its contentious provisions could be amended.
Recall that following release of the Scheme of Service, ASUP National Executive Committee had given NBTE a 15-day ultimatum due to expire on July 22 to withdraw the Scheme so that its vexatious contents, which it said was inimical to the existence of the polytechnic system could be reviewed by stakeholders and amended.
Adebayo said, “We frown at and reject provisions of the Scheme that are so inimical to the system and a great threat to the existence of the polytechnic sector. We want government to do what is good for the sector. If you kill the polytechnic sector in this country, then what remains? Are we just to be a consuming country? We need to produce and it is polytechnic sector that can do that”.
He said, “The Council of the National Officers submitted a draft for input, but when the Scheme was released, we discovered that what our officers submitted was not captured at all.
“Look at the issue of career progression, initially, it was 18 years, but with the scheme, we now have 26 years – meaning even if you come in as lecturer two, you may not even get to the last part of the promotion before you will retire.
“Then the issue of division of Senior Lecturer Cadre into Senior Lecturer 1 and Senior Lecturer 2 is strange. That means when you are supposed to spend three years on a level, then you end up spending six or eight years, that means elongating our next promotion. So, we are against it”.
The ASUP chapters also faulted inclusion of sub-tertiary education qualification tagged, National Skills Qualification as a compulsory requirement for career progression of academic staff in Polytechnics, describing it as “an aberration to the sector since every staffer belongs to one professional body or the other which is required for promotion.
“The controversial document also, by its contents further consolidates the discrimination meted out to the holders of Higher National Diploma in a system that produces them in favour of Bachelors degree holders.
“This is obvious in the document with respect to disparity in entry point and bar for HND and BSc holders in both teaching and non-teaching categories. The peak of the injury is outright denial of HND holders to attain the pinnacle of their careers as evident in the requirement for the positions of Bursar and Registrar as contained in Section 3 of the document which only considers BSc holders.
ASUP Zonal Coordinator, Adekunle Masopa, said, “A number of things are wrong with the new Scheme of Service. We are asking them to suspend the implementation of this Scheme of Service pending when necessary amendment will be done to the contentious provisions.
“All stakeholders met and came out with outline of issues within the Scheme of Service. It is not only about ASUP, all stakeholders are condemning that Scheme. NBTE should do the needful by listening to the stakeholders within the sector as regulator.
“Another thing that has characterized the Scheme of Service agitation is the channel of approval of the Scheme. The scheme was said to have been approved by the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation. As polytechnics, where there are governing councils, the employment rights of staff of polytechnics have been conferred on the governing council of each institution. We are not employees of the HOCS. We were employed by the Governing Council of the various institutions,” Masopa said.
