Academic and non-academic activities have been grounded at the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic (AkwaPoly) at Ikot Osurua, in Ikot Ekpene local government area of Akwa Ibom State, LEADERSHIP Friday learnt yesterday.
Workers, including members of the institution’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and students, were stranded as the protesting workers under the aegis of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (NASU) called out aggrieved members on strike, demanding their retirement age to be pegged at 65 years ceiling as their academic staff counterparts.
The protesters who barricaded all the gates to the institution forced the stranded students and lecturers to cluster around the gates, discussing the unexpected situation in hush tones.
A placard posted at the gate has the inscription, “Please come and salvage the situation by directing the implementation of 65 years retirement age,” as the stranded students turned the security hall at the main gate into the classroom, waiting for lecturers before a senior security officer dispersed them.
“I have to order them (the students) not to enter the school so that the situation will not escalate,” the security officer, who declined to reveal his name, explained.
President of the Students Union Government (SUG), Comrade George Inyene Geoffrey, said he could not comment on the incident and address the stranded students at the gate.
Reacting to the incident, one of the lecturers who pleaded anonymity noted that resorting to strike became necessary because of alleged discrimination and jealousy against the academic staff who have been granted the 65-year retirement age.
He argued, “In the university system, professors are given 70 years as retirement age. Other academic staff are given 65 years. The other five years are for research and book writing to allow them to give back to the academic community their experiences over the years before they retire.
“If the non-academic staff want 65 years, they change their status to academic staff and enjoy such privilege. They also wrote books to contribute to knowledge in the academic community,” he explained.
The rector, Dr Moses Umobong, could not be reached for his response when filing this report.
