The National Board for Technical Education has clarified that the newly approved schemes of service by the Federal Government are exclusive to federal polytechnics, and not applicable to state-owned polytechnics.
According to The PUNCH, the Executive Secretary of NBTE,Prof. Idris Bugaje made this clear during a press conference in Kaduna, suspending the implementation of the new schemes to allow for further stakeholder input.
The move comes after the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics opposed the new schemes, citing lack of inclusivity and threatening industrial action.
Bugaje said, “The NBTE has noted the appeal made by the Federal Polytechnics Academic Staff Union (FEPASU) and wishes to say that the Schemes of Service are strictly for the Federal Polytechnics that they represent.
“Federal polytechnics have ownership and governance peculiarities that make them different from state polytechnics.
“And more importantly, education is on the concurrent list in our Constitution, and NBTE cannot therefore impose the new Scheme of Service (after its final validation) on any state polytechnic.
“As such, ASUP should be reduced to where they belong, the state polytechnics and the new scheme is not for them. All our accreditations in state polytechnics shall henceforth be strictly on academic programmes only to ensure standards are maintained.”
As a way of averting the impending industrial action by polytechnic lecturers, Bugaje said the board had officially written the Head of Service on the need to review the scheme before its implementation.
He warned that the government would invoke the “no work, no pay” policy should the lecturers embark on a strike.
“We have written to the Head of Service over grey areas on the new scheme of work, and I’m confident she’s going to respond. We are going to suspend the implementation of the new scheme of service until issues are resolved,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to calm down as the 2024 schemes of service would be reviewed, noting, however, that there “are areas that won’t be compromised.”
“But the argument made by ASUP where people are trying to run away doing their doctorate degrees would not be acceptable,” he added.
