Adamu, Education Minister
By Ade Adedeji, Ilorin.
The Senior Staff Assocition of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) South West Zone has said it would reject resumption of full academic activities in polytechnics if sufficient provisions are not made for it by the government.
A communique issued at the end of SSANIP Zone ‘F’ Executive Council Meeting held in Offa, Kwara State at the weekend took the position among others.
The Association said in the Comnunique that; “The Council in session resolved to reject any proposed resumption of full academic activities until sufficient resources would be made available to meet the minimum guidelines of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)”.
SSANIP bemoaned the rate of community transmissions of COVID-19 calling on Federal Government to put in place, sufficient structural and complementary facilities that are at present not available in schools to ensure social distancing and other safety protocols.
The meeting also decried the delay in the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage among the State polytechnics as well as the non payment of its arreas in the Federal Polytechnics.
SSANIP also frowned at the non implementation of the new Polytechnic Act by State Governnents condemning the non recognition of the powers of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
It asked the NBTE to enforce the policy of sanctions against non accreditation of programmes on erring polytechnics with regard to compliance with the new polytechnic act
The Association said there were plethora of inadequacies in the Integrated Payroll & Personnal Information System (IPPIS) asking the government to without delay, address and rectify the “embarrassing shortcomings.”
SSANIP said for clarifications, there are often “shortfalls in salaries of some staff members; non paynent ofsakaries of some SSANIP xill date, inconsistency in the reflection of 2019 promotion of members on IPPIS platform and non remittancex of third party deductions such as Cooperative/Bank Loan deductions and other discrepancies.
The meeting called for a speedy implementation of the newly proposed Scheme of Service asking the NBTE to expedite action and to ensure uniformity in the implementation of the scheme in both Federal and State Polytechnics, Colleges and similar institutions across the country
SSANIP Council in session decried the alleged illegality by the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Ile Oluji to give the incumbent Rector a 2nd Tern tenure which contravened the new polytechnic act while the association wanted a re-absorption of the staff of Polytechnic Staff Schools into the mainstream.
The meeting was presided over by Chief Ayodeji Bankole; the National Deputy President/Zonal Co-ordinator and his Secretary, Comrade Sunday Akomolafe as well as Comrade Philip Adebanjo Ogunshola, SSANIP National President.
