Polytechnic staff protest salary shortfalls, poor management

Workers at the Federal Polytechnic Ukana in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have commenced a seven-day warning strike to press to resolve long-standing salary and employment issues.

The strike, organized under the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), began on Friday with a protest march through the school premises.

The protest followed a congress meeting at the institution’s TEFfund auditorium, where workers expressed frustration over the management’s handling of their demands. Key issues include non-payment of the 38% balance of salary shortfall, non-payment of promotion arrears, and forceful conversion of staff.

Armed with placards bearing messages like “SSANIP says no to unnecessary transfer of members,” “No to forceful conversion of staff,” “Pay us our 38% balance salary shortfall (2016–2018),” and “Pay us our correct salary placement arrears (2015-2018),” the protesters marched to the Rector’s office, chanting solidarity songs and demanding immediate action.

Addressing the protesters, SSANIP Chairman, Tamunosiki Daka, stressed that the demonstration aimed to secure their welfare and not to confront the institution’s management. He expressed disappointment that issues such as salary shortfalls dating back to 2015 had been repeatedly ignored.

“Our welfare is my topmost priority. From 2015 to date, we have been crying about salary shortfalls, but the management thinks we don’t know what we are doing. We raised this issue when the visitation panel came here, and they promised to address it, but nothing has happened,” Daka stated.

Daka noted that despite engaging with the management, no satisfactory explanations were provided to deter the strike. “We have met with the management, but they did not give any concrete reason for us not to go on this strike. We wrote to the acting Rector, but she did not respond until the current Rector, Dr. Uduak Ndaeyo, attended to us, but still, no concrete answer was given,” he said.

He warned that all offices, including that of the Rector, would be shut down if their demands were not addressed by Monday. Daka also called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate the institution’s personnel salaries from 2015 to date, citing claims that the management had falsely asserted full payment of salary shortfalls.

The workers’ grievances highlight broader concerns about management practices and employee welfare within the institution, as they demand transparency and accountability in addressing their long-standing issues.