Workers in the Nigerian polytechnics have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor’s Degree (BSc.) dichotomy bill recently passed by the National Assembly.
The workers, under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), made this plea at Labour House, Abuja shortly after a quarterly meeting of the General Executive Council led by their president and secretary, Adebanjo Ogunsipe and Hussaini Gwandu, respectively.
Reading the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting for journalists Thursday, Ogunsipe noted that the bill was in the interest of growth and development of polytechnic education in the country.
The workers also described as “insensitive” non-payment of salaries of workers of some state polytechnics, adding that they were unhappy with the persistent refusal of many state governments to implement the new minimum wage.
Ogunsipe listed the institutions as Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State (11 months); Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State (30 months); College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Osun State (30 months) and Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State (28 months) among others.
