Lecturers at Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja go on indefinite strike from Monday to protest unpaid salaries.
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) chairman Boluromi Samuel Sunday, who gave the directives in Lokoja on Sunday, said it was compelled to call for strike as a last resort to compel the government to heed to their demand over arrears of salaries.
He stated that although, the 21-day ultimatum earlier given to government to meet with the negotiated demands before suspending the strike was not over, the need for his members to collect their salaries could not be swept under the carpet, stressing that the impending strike can be averted if the government pays their salaries before Monday.
"Early in the year, six state owned tertiary institutions embarked on indefinite strike, Kogi state Polytechnic acceded Government plea to suspend the strike and resumed academic programmes which they complied while others refused to bulge.
"Even when reminded that they had not kept their promise on the agreement we had with them before suspending the strike, we still continued with our work, until when things got to a head that we recently issued 21 days ultimatum to resume the strike or they should hasten the process to meet the agreement.
"We were surprised, when July salaries were being paid to our colleagues in other tertiary institutions across the state; our members were being left out. When we enquired, we were told that the state has no money to pay us, even when all the civil servants in the state have collected theirs.
"As I’m talking, my members have exhausted all sources they used to borrow money. Right now, our members are starving, we don’t have transport money to come to work, no tools to work with even primary things like stencils are not provided," he said.
