School shut as students demand their lecturers' allowance

Following students protest against managements refusal to pay lecturers allowance at the Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, in Ebonyi state, the school has been shut.

According to New Telegraph, members of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) of the institution and the management have been having disagreements over the non-payment of ASUP’s special allowance identified as Peculiar Academic Allowance (PAA).

The lecturers have reportedly protested to demand the payment of the allowance but the polytechnic management did not respond to their demands.

This, therefore, prompted the lecturers to declare an indefinite strike on Friday, March 9, 2018, same day the first semester exams billed to commence.

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Lecturers vow to paralyse academic activities if their allowance is not paid

Meanwhile, before the lectures embark on their strike, they had reportedly announced that no academic activities of any sort would be allowed to take place in the school including the semester examination.

This according to reports is the reason the students of the Polytechnic besieged the office of the Rector, Ven. Ogbonnia Ibe-Enwo and demanded that he should pay their lecturers their allowances.

The students who were armed with placards with different inscriptions calling on the management to address the issue marched around the Polytechnic.

However, in a bid to prevent the possible breakdown of law and order, the management of the polytechnic has announced immediate closure of until further notice in a statement signed by the polytechnic Deputy Registrar, U. E. Chikezie.