Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has threatened fresh industrial action at the Bayelsa State Polytechnic following a dispute with the institution’s management over queries issued to academic officials who missed an Academic Board meeting.
The ASUP chapter said it would escalate the matter through appropriate industrial channels if the queries against some Heads of Department, Directors and Deans were not withdrawn immediately and unconditionally.
The dispute followed an Academic Board meeting held on September 2, 2026, which the affected officials did not attend. Management subsequently issued queries dated September 3, accusing them of being absent without prior notice or explanation.
The queries described their absence as an “act of sabotage” capable of undermining the academic progress of the institution and directed the officials to provide written explanations within 48 hours.
Management also said records at the Registrar’s office showed that none of the affected officials had communicated an inability to attend the meeting or provided an excuse before or after the meeting, despite receiving notices and reminders.
It further cited the payment of staff salaries on September 1 and the suspension of the union’s ongoing strike, arguing that there was no reasonable justification for members of the Academic Board to remain absent from an important institutional meeting.
However, ASUP rejected the queries in a letter dated September 4 and addressed to the Registrar of the polytechnic. The letter was signed by the chapter’s Chairman, Dr Oyin-Emi Ogbomah, and General Secretary, Comrade Nemine Tonprebofa Andrew.
The union said its members had acted on a directive from the chapter, which instructed Heads of Department, Directors and Deans not to attend meetings convened or chaired by the retired former Rector.
ASUP said it did not recognise the retired former Rector as the institution’s Rector and maintained that serving academic staff could not be subjected to directives from a retired official.
The union stated, “As a registered and respected trade union representing serving academic staff, ASUP does not recognise a retiree who is a member of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) as Rector of any polytechnic.”
It further said, “To the best of our knowledge, there is no polytechnic in the Federal Republic of Nigeria where a retired Rector issues directives to serving academic staff,” adding, “ASUP members are not bound by directives issued by a retiree and will not accept such an anomaly.”
The latest disagreement comes after an earlier ASUP strike at the institution over administrative issues. The action was suspended following intervention by the Bayelsa State Government and the Visitor to the polytechnic, Governor Douye Diri, with the union saying its immediate priority was to resume teaching.
“Our current priority and mandate remain focused on returning to the classroom to teach our students,” the union stated.
ASUP has now demanded the immediate withdrawal of all queries issued over the September 2 meeting and warned that failure to do so could trigger another round of industrial action.
“Consequently, the Union demands the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all queries issued to our members for declining to attend meetings with the retired former Rector,” ASUP stated.
The union warned, “We unequivocally state that ASUP will escalate this matter through appropriate industrial channels should these queries not be withdrawn.”
