The Joint Council of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institution (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) of Rivers State college of health science and technology, are threatening to go on strike due to the non-acceleration of passage of the Rivers State college of health science and management technology bill before the Rivers State House of Assembly.
It was gathered that the bill on the process of repeal and re-anactment was presented by majority leader, as executive bill, and it has passed first and second readings, and committed to the joint committees on education and health, chaired by Hon. Dr. Fara Dagogo.
Reacting through a joint statement after a meeting on Tuesday, Comrade Promise Igoma, the ASUP chairman of rivers state college of health science and technology said that it is certified that the bill was passed by the senate on the 12th of March 2012 and signed by the former president, President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the clerk to National Assembly Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa in May, 2012.
He stated that the bill harmonises age of staff of the polytechnics and colleges of education to be 65 years; as obtained in other tertiary institutions, as the college is regulated by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), as an academic tertiary health institution. He therefore, appealed to the Rivers State Government to appoint a governing council for the college.
He said that the staff of the college are pushed to the wall, and humbly requested that Rivers State elders, parents and guidance should as a matter of urgency, appeal to the governor to come to the aid of the first college of health in Nigeria situated at his door post.
He added that there is need for the implementation of the tertiary institution salary structure of CONPASS for academic staff and CONTISS for non-teaching staff of the college.
Currently, staff of the college are earning different core civil service of CONHESS, PMSS and TSS
It was alleged that the head of service of the state hid the memo of adjustment of salary at 65 years of age that was approved by the governor and the joint council are threatening to go on strike as they can not continue suffering.
