Union Protests LASPOTECH’s Crisis

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) on Thursday staged a protest to the State House of Assembly, seeking intervention in the ongoing crisis rocking the institution.
The protesters, who chanted different solidarity songs, carried placards with various inscriptions to drive home their request.
Leading the protesters, the Chairman of SSANIP-LASPOTECH, Mr Awoyemi Abiodun, accused the Rector of the institution, Mr Oluyinka Sogunro, of highhandedness.
Abiodun told the Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, that the rector had been taking decisions without recourse to the management staff.
“Sogunro does things without recourse to the governing council or to the executive management that are on the campus.
“As we speak, we used to conduct elections for the offices the Deans, but as soon as he got to power, deans were either selected or appointed because elections into the offices have been put to rest,” he said.
The union chairman said the school was also having problems with cult members, with a member of the Academic Staff Union Executive being beaten up by them on Wednesday.
According to him, the union has written several letters on the matter without positive response.
Abiodun, however, said he was confident the speaker would intervene in the matter.
Addressing the protesters, Obasa said that the House would investigate the matters without taking sides.
Obasa said: “I am very happy that your spokesmen noted that we don’t toy with issues that affect your institution. In the past, we have made promises and fulfilled them.
“I want to assure you that this one is not going to be an exception. We have not received anything in respect of your complaints.
“You have listed a number of complaints and I am assuring you that we will start acting on your petition if you have it here.
“We will take it up; we will step in as quickly as possible. Sogunro was appointed by the governor, give us opportunity to look into the matter and we will take a position without taking side; that I can assure you.”
He said that he would call on the Chairman, House Committee on Education to take the matter up.
Obasa urged the union members to consider the interest of the students and their parents, saying that the more they are locked out of the institution, the more the society will be negatively affected.
The Tide source gathered that the workers had gone on strike over non-payment of their allowances, among other reasons.
SSANIP’s action came as a result of the expiration of an ultimatum the union had earlier issued to the institution’s management over the payments.