…Concludes plan to embark on Strike

Staff of Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma have concluded plan to embark on indefinite strike over government’s refusal to pay their 14 month’s salary, enrollment of staff into pension scheme and continuous denial of impress to management staff by the school authority.

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Imo state Polytechnic, Omuma chapter disclosed this on Tuesday.

According to them, the administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma has shown obvious hatred and sheer neglect to their plight by improperly placing salary of staff as well as blocking all promotional benefits of workers.

In a press Statement made available to newsmen shortly after the Union’s Q4-2025 Chapter congress on 14-days ultimatum to the state government, Chairman of the Union, JC Offurum said that the union had exhausted all avenues for dialogue, and threatened to proceed on strike if government fails to to comply to their demands.

“It has become unbearable that we tilt towards an aggressive call for action as a means of drawing the attention of His Excellency to the chronic issues that have kept us behind realities in the scheme of things for many years. Several of our problems have become too chronic, though solvable with His Excellency’s approvals.”

According to the union, the problems they are agitating for include: “IMPROPER PLACEMENT OF STAFF (ACADEMIC and NON-ACADEMIC). Expressing anger, the union Chairman maintained, “we sincerely draw the attention of His Excellency to this broad day disadvantage, which is not just demoralizing, but a cause to industrial disharmony. Following the IMPROPER PLACEMENT as it is, younger employees tend to earn higher than age long employees with same qualification and, in some cases, of lesser qualification. Imagine a scenario where such variance affects authority. As a result of this, Imo State Polytechnic Staff are seen wearing very moody faces, when others are smiling during the recent implementation of the New Minimum Wage Salary by the State Government”

The union further condemned government’s action aimed at denying them access to pension scheme contrary to agreement earlier reached.

“NON ENROLLMENT OF RETIRED STAFF INTO THE STATE PENSION SCHEME: Kindly note that IMO STATE POLYTECHNIC RETIREES, that deserve to be part of the STATE PENSION SCHEME, are yet to be cued into the scheme. For this important denial, majority of our retired colleagues are gasping out of want, while many are already late due to severe economic hardship and frustration. As a united front, we have done our best supposedly to let this scenario change (through our several outreach, including several submissions at the governor’s office), but all to no avail”

“NON PAYMENT OF THE MARCH 2018, APRIL 2018 AND FEBRUARY 2020
OMITTED SALARIES: Pitiable as it may appear, these monthly salaries were selectively paid to certain number of staff then, using unknown parameters. We have taken up this matter severally (with the requisite documents submitted to the state authorities), and yet here we are. May someone try to imagine this disadvantage that we have suffered over the years.
We are not comfortable that once in every while, we are subjected to suffer from one form of deprivation or the other.”

While demaing immediately payment of omitted salaries of some staff, the union states, “Severally, we have begged that this issue is unwarranted, and so should be resolved, but nothing positive has been achieved. We are also not abreast of any punishment recommended by any committee in this regard. It is unheard of that some of our colleagues, amidst other challenges, have been without salaries for over past 48 months now, yet they come to work, and attend to their duties”

The union further expressed bitterness on government’s continued delay in the release of its members annual promotion urged all relevant bodies to fastract the process.

“CONTINOUS DELAY IN THE RELEASE OF ANNUAL PROMOTIONS: Pathetically, the management of the IMO STATE POLYTECHNIC is not helping matters in this regard. Staff growth is as important as employee diligence to duty. We demand that the annual promotion exercises of 2023 and 2024 be released, without further delays, to acquaint our staff of their growth, and enable them have a progress plan, like their counterparts in other institutions. This, however, is singled out among other related anomalies bedeviling us in the Polytechnic”

Furthering, the union reiterated its readiness to recover all non payment of impress to academic administrators. “NON PAYMENT OF IMPREST TO ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATORS:
It will never give room for a good work environment that Administrators, such as Heads of Departments/Units and Deans of Schools/Directors of Directorates, depend on self-sponsorship to run their official assignments. We request a routine (monthly) appropriation to them from the monthly IMPREST GIVEN TO THE POLYTECHNIC (no matter how small), to enable an improved service, in line with prevailing circumstances.”

The union further maintained that in the midst of these travails, nevertheless, its nembers have remained supportive to all that warrants due diligence to the good ambitions of His Excellency towards the educational upliftment of the State.

“However, lack of commensurate act of reciprocity to our unflinching commitment to service has compelled us to employ this medium to request better attention, which, in turn, will be proportional to our inputs to duty, in line with the shared prosperity mantra of the state government. We, therefore, call on His Excellency, the Education-loving governor of our dear state, to as a matter of urgency, prevail on these situation, within this window of 14-days, after which we may be left with no other option, but to embrace Industrial Disharmony.”