Auchi Poly Lecturers Begin Indefinite Strike

 Moshood Karim with Agency report
Auchi (Strategic) - There was pandemonium at the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo state, as all academic activities were on Monday paralysed following indefinite strike embarked on by members of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) over nonpayment of three months’ salaries and non-remittance of staff welfare contributions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the lecture halls and offices were locked.
The polytechnic secondary school was also affected as teachers and students were asked to stay at home.
The Chairman of Auchi Chapter of ASUP, Mr Abdulazeez Isah, said the strike, which commenced on Monday, would be indefinite until the management paid their outstanding salaries.
According to him: “We are on indefinite strike because the polytechnic management has refused to pay us salaries since the last three months.
“Lecturers have to stay away from work because the nonpayment of their salaries has made life difficult for them,” he added.
Mr Abdulazeez Isah also explained that the non-remittance of welfare (cooperative) contributions currently being owed by the out-going administration of Dr (Mrs) Phillipa Idogho running into hundreds of millions of naira, coupled with the unpaid invigilation and Project Supervision Allowances for 2014/2015 Academic Session in the School of Evening Studies were other reasons for the strike.
The Unions further stated that the issue of delayed 2015 Promotion without financial benefits is also a key factor in the strike declared by them. 
“We know that   promotions and incremental benefits are always budgeted for every year. What happened to the funds received by her administration from the government in 2015?” they queried.
Isah said his members had resolved that they would not return to the classrooms until the outstanding salaries and allowances were paid.

The protesters carried different placards with various inscriptions: ‘Idogho pay Us our salaries’. They also used her picture with the inscription R.I.P, signifying the end of her eight years tenure as the honcho of the polytechnic.