Owerri – The Rector of Imo Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Rev. Fr. Wence Madu, has decried industrial action by academic staff, saying that it disrupts academic calendar and students’ activities in institutions.
Madu made this known on Wednesday in Owerri while briefing journalists on the ongoing strike by the unions in the school.
According to him, going on strike at a time when the country is experiencing economic challenges, will also affect the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the institution which augments government subvention.
The strike, he said, would also affect new students and disorganise those are planning for their NYSC within the year.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that staff of the institution commenced a one week warning strike on Monday over the non-payment of salaries and alleged plans to downsize the workforce.
The rector told newsmen that the state government recently set up a technical audit committee to conduct staff audit in all state-owned institutions.
He said the essence of the exercise was to sanitize the system and strengthen the workforce for better productivity and service delivery.
He further said that the outcome of the exercise was sent to the governing council of the school for ratification and implementation.
Madu said that during the process, the unions — Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union(NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) — were adequately briefed and carried along.
He expressed concern that the strike was designed to whip up sentiments from some affected elements and also to force the government to rescind its decision to implement the technical staff audit report.
The rector described the strike was unnecessary, adding that any individual who felt aggrieved and had a genuine case could seek redress through appropriate channels.
He, therefore, advised the unions to call off the strike, noting that the institution had enjoyed a strike-free academic calendar for four years to the benefit of all.
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On the issue of salaries, Madu said that the school had paid three months salary arrears owed staff and that efforts were currently on to settle the outstanding months of April and May.
He, however, expressed optimism that the strike would soon be called off, following the intervention the Governing Council of the institution, headed by Mr Charles Amadi. (NAN)
