No whitepaper from presidency on NECO,UTME,says Rufa'i

Details

Written by Abdullateef Abubakar Jos

Rufa'i spoke at a meeting with executives of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics

(ASUP) in Abuja on Thursday.

ASUP had issued a 21-day ultimatum that it would embark on a warning strike on March 25,

if its demands were not met by the Federal Government.

She said that she had not been officially communicated on the recommendations of the

Stephen Oronsaye's whitepaper, as it affected the ministry.

``As far as I am concerned, the white paper has not been officially communicated to me.

``I am not in a position to take any decision or pass any comment on that, so for now, we

are not in a position to say anything,’’ she said.

Earlier, ASUP President, Chibuzo Asomugha, while enumerating their grievances, said

government had failed to constitute the governing councils for polytechnics, 18 months

after they were dissolved.

Asomugha said the white paper on the visitation panels to polytechnics had not been

implemented.

He told the minister that there were still discrimination between HND and degree holders

who were lecturers as well as flagrant abuse of standards in polytechnics among others.

The ASUP president also alleged that some polytechnics were yet to implement the

65-years retirement age for lecturers and were retiring members of the union at 60 years.

Rufa’i, in her response, said many of the issues raised by the union were problems that

could have been resolved faster, if there were existing governing councils.

She assured the union that the Federal Government was set to announce members of

governing councils for polytechnics.