ASUP: FG To Inaugurate HND / Degree Disparity Committee

The committee for the implementation of the white paper for the bridging of the gap between polytechnic HND and university degree is to be inaugurated, latest next week.

The Supervising Minister of Education, chief Nyesom Wike, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the latest efforts by the Federal Government to resolve the lingering ASUP strike.

Wike said he had already received a directive from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to that effect where it also directed that the curriculum should be improved.

He said setting up the committee was the first step to implementing the recommendations in the white paper noting that the bulk did not stop at the table of the Federal Ministry of Education alone.

The minister said the plan by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to stage a mass protest was uncalled for, describing it as another blackmail on the part of the union.

He said government was doing everything possible to resolve the strike, but that it would not

give in to blackmail by the union.

On ASUP’s claim that it had not met with the Minister since the strike began, he said; “I want to state categorically that it is not true that we have not met with ASUP in a bid to resolve this strike.

“We met and agreed on some issues including the instalmental payment of their entitlements which they promised to take to their NEC (National Executive Council).

“Only for them to write to us later rejecting the offer,” Wike said.

The minister also denied ASUP’s allegation that government was insensitive to the strike and was also lying to the public.

On the “no work, no pay” policy enforced on the strking lecturers, Wike said any responsible leadership “must show some kind of firmness.”

“You don’t expect government to continue using tax payers money to pay you salaries when you are not working for that, it is unfair,” he stated.

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