Firdaus Obiremi
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Ogun State chapter, has threatened an industrial action over the state government’s alleged failure to implement academic allowances, remit workers’ pension deductions and adequately fund the six state-owned polytechnics.
The union has given the government six days to address its demands before the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued on October 27, 2026, warning that failure to act could trigger a strike across the affected institutions.
Among its major demands is an immediate increase in the monthly subvention to each state-owned polytechnic from the current N5m to N100m, alongside the implementation of the Consolidated Academic Allowance and Earned Academic Allowance (CATA/EAA), payment of pension counterpart contributions and remittance of outstanding pension deductions.
The union made its position known on Thursday during a joint press briefing at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) ASUP Secretariat, Abeokuta, attended by representatives of all six state-owned polytechnics.
Reading the union’s resolution, Comrade Adeyemi Joseph Kolawole of the Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences, Ilese, said the ultimatum followed a resolution of the ASUP National Executive Council but lamented that the state government had yet to demonstrate any concrete commitment to resolving the outstanding issues.
Kolawole described the continued payment of N5m monthly subvention to some of the institutions for more than a decade as grossly inadequate, considering the prevailing economic realities and rising operational costs.
He said, “It is discouraging that the monthly subvention to some of these institutions has remained at a paltry sum of N5m for over 10 years, despite significant changes in economic realities, operational costs and institutional responsibilities.”
The union consequently demanded an immediate upward review of the monthly allocation to N100m per institution, arguing that the existing funding arrangement was placing unbearable financial pressure on institutional management and undermining effective administration.
Beyond the funding crisis, ASUP expressed concern over the government’s alleged failure to provide pension counterpart contributions and remit deductions already made from workers’ salaries to their respective Pension Fund Administrators.
The union also complained that state-approved palliative support for workers had not been extended to the majority of eligible employees across the six institutions.
Kolawole urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to personally intervene before the ultimatum expires, warning that allowing the dispute to escalate could disrupt the academic calendar.
“We call on His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ogun State, to personally intervene and ensure that these outstanding issues are addressed before the expiration of the ultimatum.
“No responsible government should allow an avoidable industrial crisis to destroy the academic calendar when the issues at stake can be resolved through genuine commitment and timely intervention,” he said.
Speaking on the pension crisis, Comrade Adeleke Amos Adebayo, representing MAPOLY, Abeokuta, disclosed that pension deductions from the salaries of some workers had remained unremitted for several months, raising fears about their financial security after retirement.
He said the managements of the affected institutions had repeatedly complained of inadequate funding, explaining that their internally generated revenue was insufficient to meet competing financial obligations.
According to him, dwindling student enrolment, infrastructural deficits and the increasing cost of running the institutions had further worsened their financial situation.
“Several months of deductions have not been remitted to the Pension Fund Administrators. That is already running over several months for some staff of some of these polytechnics, which was one of the reasons we included this in our press statement,” Adebayo said.
He lamented that workers approaching retirement were particularly vulnerable, warning that the failure to remit pension contributions could leave them struggling financially after years of service.
Adebayo said the economic hardship in the country, including rising costs of petrol, accommodation, food and other essential commodities, had also affected workers’ ability to meet their family responsibilities.
He added that the financial difficulties confronting the institutions were also affecting students, particularly those from families unable to afford private tertiary education.
“The pension we are talking about is our own future. The future is not looking bright for some of us who are about to retire. The fear has always been there about how it will be.
“For someone who will retire in two, three, four or five months, checking their account only to see just one or two million naira, how long will that take them?” he queried.
The MAPOLY representative appealed to the state government to urgently address the pension crisis, stressing that the issue went beyond salary-related demands and concerned the long-term survival and welfare of the workforce.
He also called for the implementation of the Consolidated Academic Staff Salary Structure (CASS) and improved institutional funding.
Similarly, Comrade Sogbesan Adeniyi A. of the D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, described the N5m monthly subvention as inadequate to sustain the operations of a tertiary institution.
He argued that the funding arrangement placed additional pressure on school administrators, who were expected to maintain academic and administrative activities despite insufficient financial resources.
“N5m cannot do anything. It creates a lot of burden on the management in relation to what is required to sustain the system,” he said.
Also speaking, Comrade Ogunsanya Babatunde Abraham of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, described the struggle for the implementation of the Consolidated Academic Allowance and related labour entitlements as a demand for social justice and equal treatment of workers.
He maintained that workers should not be disadvantaged or treated differently because of the state in which they are employed.
“The struggle for CATA is fundamentally a struggle for social justice,” he said.
Abraham argued that improved labour conditions were legitimate entitlements arising from workers’ contributions to society and should not be treated as privileges granted at the discretion of government.
“Improved regulation is not a favour that the government graciously extends to workers. It is legitimate because it comes from the sacrifices and services that workers have rendered to society,” he added.
He stressed that the welfare of workers remained a fundamental responsibility of government as an employer.
The ASUP representatives warned that continued neglect of the polytechnic sector could undermine technical education, entrepreneurship development and opportunities for thousands of young people, particularly as Ogun State currently operates only one state-owned university.
The briefing was attended by representatives of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo; Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade; Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta; Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences, Ilese; Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa; and D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori.
Although the union reaffirmed its preference for constructive engagement and peaceful resolution, it insisted that its patience was running out.
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