The Federal Government has pleaded with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) to call off their strikes.
The statement signed, by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant on Media to the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, in Abuja stated that the Federal Government had clearly worked hard to resolve the ASUP and COEASU strikes.
The minister has on several occasions negotiated with the ASUP and COEASU leaderships to resolve the ongoing strike.
“It is hoped that in the coming days, COEASU and ASUP will respond positively to the latest efforts of the Federal Government,’’ the statement stated.
It stated that these negotiations had led to the Federal Government meeting about 90 per cent of the demands of the unions.
The statement added that the only one principal demand yet to be finalised by the Federal Government was the payment of arrears of CONTISS 15 put at over N40 billion for the two unions.
The Federal Government, it added, had proposed two instalment payments which the unions had rejected.
It also stated that further negotiations were held last week and there was hope that outstanding issues would be resolved soon.
The statement said that the Federal Government had made a lot of efforts through the ministry by setting up of the Needs Assessment Committees for Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
It stated that the two committees were in the process of concluding their reports after the field assessments in which ASUP and COEASU officials participated.
It said that based on the reports the Federal Government would directly intervene the way it did with the universities.
The statement recalled that that several direct improvements have also been made via investments in infrastructure, classrooms, libraries and laboratories in polytechnics in the last three years.
It said that Nigerians had commended the improvements facilitated by Jonathan in the last three years at a public town hall meetings held in four zones with Federal Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
The statement urged the unions to reciprocate by calling off their strikes in the coming days.
