To press home their demands, workers at the Federal Polytechnic Ukana, in the Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have embarked on a seven-day warning strike.
Under the aegis of the Senior Staffs Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), the workers commenced their protest on Friday with a march around the school premises.
The protest, which followed a brief congress meeting at the institution’s TETFund auditorium, saw workers expressing their dissatisfaction with the management’s handling of their grievances.
Key issues include the non-payment of a 38% balance of the salary shortfall, unpaid promotion arrears, and the forceful conversion of staff roles.
After their meeting, the protesters marched to the Rector’s office, displaying placards with inscriptions such as, “SSANIP says no to unnecessary transfer of members,” “No to forceful conversion of staff,” and “Pay us our 38% balance salary shortfall (2016–2018).”
They chanted solidarity songs, demanding full implementation of their demands.
Addressing the protesters, SSANIP Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic Ukana chapter, Mr. Tamunosiki Daka, clarified that their protest was not a fight against individuals but a call for their welfare.
He criticised the management’s neglect of their issues, particularly the salary shortfalls dating back to 2015.
Daka stated, “Please let it be on record that I, the chairman of the SSANIP Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, am not fighting anybody. I was not elected to fight anybody, but to look after SSANIP’s welfare. Over the years, from 2015 to date, we have been crying for salary shortfalls. We made a case when the visitation panel came, and they promised to get back to us, but nothing has happened.”
Despite repeated appeals, including to the current Rector, Dr. Uduak Ndaeyo, no satisfactory answers have been provided.
Daka declared that all offices, including the Rector’s, would be shut down by Monday if their demands were not met.
He also called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate the personnel salaries of the institution from 2015 to date, particularly the claims that all shortfalls have been paid.
“We want to call on the President to investigate all personnel salaries from 2015-date when we migrated to the IPPIS platform because they are claiming that they paid us all the shortfalls to 100% but up until now no one has seen anything,” Daka added.
