MAPOLY lecturers resume indefinite strike

Academic Staff of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, has resumed its industrial action after the expiration of two weeks it gave the authorities to meet some its demands.


The two weeks given the state government to meet some of its demands lapsed last Friday
The lecturers had also alleged threat to their lives as they claimed that some unregistered vehicles had been sighted within the school premises, a development they claimed was breach of security arrangement.
Speaking with the media after its congress last Friday, the Chairman of the ASUP MAPOLY chapter, Kola Abiola, alleged that “unregistered have started entering the school as against the security arrangement of the institution.”
He further alleged that those unregistered vehicles had, on two occasions traced him to the junction of his residence.
Abiola said the members of the union were no more willing to offer their services until the government comply with their demands.
It will be recalled that the lecturers and the state government had been at loggerheads over the announcement of the upgrading MAPOLY to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology.
While the government also announced the establishment of the Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia. The contention had been what would be the role of the lecturers in the new MAUSTECH.
The government said those who wish to lecture at MAUSTECH would have to re-apply and if they met the requirements, they would be accommodated. While those among them who wanted to continue with the new polytechnic at Ipokia, would move there without re-applying.
Some of the lecturers were however not comfortable with the option of resigning and re-applying for their upgrade to MAUSTECH, as they argued that their years of service at MAPOLY, might no longer count for them.
Abiola alleged that the policy of the government to upgrade MAPOLY to a university status has affected the school negatively.
According to him, salaries are not being paid since the school operated majorly on school fees while prospective students were not willing to seek admission into the school since the announcement of the upgrade.
He said, “In the month of September, its only 40 per cent of our salary that was paid, in the month of October, it was another truncated salary that was paid and the government has told us to go and look inwards
“Do they want us to start selling mats? Do they want us to start selling out students to get money?
“And for a school that has been running on school fees, now students are not coming. More than 7,500 were offered admission into HND, only 132 has responded to come to the school.
” That is what the policy of government is doing to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.”