By Steve Oni, Ilorin
Both the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) that, on its part, embarked on strike on Wednesday, have been urged to decline from taking an extremist position on the bone of contentions between the two of them.
Rector of the Kwara state polytechnic, Mas’ud Elelu made the appeal on Wednesday during a press conference on the convocation ceremony of the polytechnic.
Elelu, who noted that the convocation ceremony scheduled for Thursday would be conducted with the involvement of the academic staff of the institution because they did not join the ASUP’s strike, however, expressed displeasure that the ASUP embarked on the nation-wide strike.
He said though the polytechnic education is confronted with many challenges in the country, an industrial action is not the only way to find solutions to the challenges, advising that the ASUP would have taken the option of the strike as the last resort.
“If you are going on strike, you should first look at the situation not only of the country but also your schools and other relevant factors otherwise we will all loose out”, he counselled.
The rector said members of the ASUP in his institution did not join the strike not because the institution did not have challenges but because the ASUP members believe strike is not the solution and were also alive to the yearnings of the stakeholders who include parents and the students.
Elelu urged that while the ASUP should not consider strike as the only solution the federal government should also not be adamant on its position saying “both parties should look for ways they can avoid going to the extreme.”
The rector disclosed that 104 among the graduating students came out with distinction in their academic performance.
He said the polytechnic in the last eight years enjoyed stable academic calendar and was recently rated by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as 6th most sought after by admission candidates.
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