Education Minister Resolves Bayelsa Poly Crisis, Academic Activities to Resume 6th of October

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has resolved the lingering labour dispute at the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The minister had summoned parties to the industrial dispute that shut down the polytechnic located on the banks of River Nun in Bayelsa State since July 11 to a mediatory meeting on September 29.

On Wednesday, after exhaustively listening to the workers’ representatives and the management, Mr Alausa fixed a resumption date of October 6.

Chairmen and secretaries of the three unions in the polytechnic, the rector and governing council chairman attended the meeting held in Abuja.

The unions are Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in the polytechnic.

It was also gathered that the minister directed the governing council to set up a fresh panel to investigate sundry allegations levelled against the rector by the unions.

The panel was mandated to report its findings in three weeks.

The meeting followed a joint petition to the minister over suspension of a governing council meeting to resolve the labour dispute on the grounds of insecurity.

The workers had in the petition submitted that the claim of insecurity was a ploy to avert pending probe of allegations against the rector as there was no security threat in Bayelsa State to warrant suspension when the council members were already in town for the meeting.

The unions had said that only the suspension, pending investigation of the Rector, Dr Agbabiaka Lukman, would guarantee industrial harmony in the institution.

The workers kept the institution under locks for alleged violation of the Polytechnic Act by the rector who took the three unions to court over labour disputes whereas the governing council was statutorily mandated under the Act to handle labour-related matters.

Contacted for an update on the face-off, Public Relations Officer of the tertiary institution, Nimizuo Pereseigha, declined comments.