Asup Strike: Poly Students Plead With FG, ASUP To End Strike

Students of Nigerian polytechnics under the
auspices of the National Association of
Polytechnic Students, have called on the
Federal Government and Academic Staff
Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to resolve the
lingering dispute between them in the interest
of the students.
National President of NAPS, Comrade Sunday
Ogbonnaya, also condemned the policemen
for tear-gassing some lecturers penultimate
week during a peaceful protest over the
lingering strike.
"Actually, the issue of this strike has gotten
out of hand and the truth is that we the
students are at the receiving end. It is said
that when two elephants fight, it is the grass
that suffers it. And that is what is happening
today.
"We want to appeal to ASUP to device other
means of achieving their goals instead of
putting students at home," he said.
He also called on the Federal Government to
genuinely address the demands of the
lecturers, saying there was no way "the
country could develop without proper
investment in the technological development
of the nation," he said.
The students, who have lost an academic
session to the strike also condemned in
totality the discrimination against
polytechnics graduates in public service and
urged the Federal Government to remove the
obnoxious ceiling against Higher National
Diploma (HND) holders.
Ogbonnaya said that the association was in
full support of the move by the Higher
National Diploma Holders Association of
Nigeria to drag the Federal Government to
court over discrimination in work places.
"Honestly, it's a cancer. It's what we have
heard of and seen in public service. But we
students don't have any regret of being
polytechnic students. We make bold to say it
anywhere, anytime, because we feel and we
believe that it is from polytechnic that we get
good and quality practical education."
"Instead of celebrating practical aspect of
what one can do, our system celebrates
certificate and that is what is killing our
system today," he said.