The lingering industrial crisis at the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, took a dramatic turn on Monday as soldiers were reportedly deployed to secure examination halls following threats from the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).
Recall that ASUP had on September 15 declared an indefinite strike over 18 months of unpaid excess workload allowances. The union, led by Comrade Kolo Joshua, directed its members to boycott the semester examinations and allegedly warned against supervising the exercise.
According to Daily Trust, a staff member of the polytechnic confirmed the development, saying management brought in soldiers to protect both students and academic staff willing to conduct the examinations.
“The polytechnic started examinations today, and while some staff volunteered to participate, the union had threatened to stop the process. That was why management brought in soldiers to protect students and staff,” the source said.
The move followed a September 13 circular by the institution’s Registrar, Hussaini Muhammad Enagi, announcing the suspension of ASUP’s activities on campus, citing security concerns.
Reacting, Joshua advised union members to vacate the campus “for the safety of lives and property,” while insisting that their grievances remained unresolved.
He accused the institution’s management of intimidation rather than dialogue.
“The allowances, running into 18 months under the current rector and 36 months under the previous administration, have caused hardship and dampened morale among lecturers. Instead of addressing financial obligations, management is issuing queries to ASUP executives,” he alleged.
However, the institution’s Information Officer, Mallam Abubakar Dzukogi, dismissed claims that soldiers were deployed to supervise examinations.
“This is a civil matter. I went round the examination centres and did not see soldiers. Management only ensured the examination was held despite the union’s strike,” Dzukogi said, explaining that only some directors of the polytechnic took part in the exercise after lecturers withdrew.
The dispute has further deepened the standoff between ASUP and the institution’s management, fueling fears of prolonged disruption to the academic calendar.
