ASUP: FG yet to release N15bn fund for polytechnics — 6 months after strike was suspended

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) says the federal government is yet to release the revitalisation fund it earlier approved.

In June 2021, ASUP had suspended its 65-day-old strike which it embarked on over government’s failure to meet some of its demands.

ASUP had stated some of its demands to include non-implementation of the 2014 NEEDS report and non-release of revitalisation funds to the sector despite assurances since 2017.

According to NAN, Anderson Ezeibe, ASUP president, spoke on Wednesday at the opening of a week-long national delegates conference of the union in Asaba.

Ezeibe lamented that most government-owned polytechnics depend solely on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to function.

“When we returned from strike, we were given a document showing the approval of N15 billion as revitalisation of the infrastructural fund in lieu of the implementation of the need assessment reports of 2014,” he said.

“Six months down the line, not a penny has been released. If you get to some polytechnics, you will see that a lot of them are TETfund institutions, that is why we are talking about stopping the issue of proliferation of polytechnics.

“If you are not ready to fund the existing institutions, do not establish more. Do not establish polytechnics just because you want to attract TETfund.”

Ezeibe decried the non-appropriation of capital expenditure in many state-owned polytechnics.

“In so many state owned polytechnics, capital appropriation is virtually non existence, every single infrastructure, is sponsored by TETfund,” the ASUP president added.

“If you want to establish a polytechnic, bear in mind to meet the educational and technological needs of your people.”