The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Bayelsa State Polytechnic chapter, has threatened to resume industrial action following a dispute with the institution’s management over queries issued to some academic officials.
The disagreement followed the failure of some Heads of Department, Directors and Deans to attend an Academic Board meeting held on September 2, 2026.
The affected officials were queried by the management on September 3 for allegedly absenting themselves from the meeting without prior notification or an explanation.
In the queries, the management described their absence as a deliberate action capable of undermining the academic progress of the institution.
However, ASUP rejected the queries, arguing that the affected officials were complying with a directive from the union not to participate in meetings convened or chaired by the retired former Rector of the institution.
In a letter dated September 4 and addressed to the polytechnic’s Registrar, the union demanded the immediate withdrawal of the queries.
The letter, signed by the chapter Chairman, Dr Oyin-Emi Ogbomah, and General Secretary, Comrade Nemine Tonprebofa Andrew, stated that the union did not recognise the retired former Rector as the institution’s Rector.
ASUP said, “As a registered and respected trade union representing serving academic staff, ASUP does not recognise a retiree who is a member of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners as Rector of any polytechnic.”
The union further maintained that serving academic staff should not be subjected to instructions issued by a retired rector.
“To the best of our knowledge, there is no polytechnic in the Federal Republic of Nigeria where a retired Rector issues directives to serving academic staff,” it said.
The union added, “ASUP members are not bound by directives issued by a retiree and will not accept such an anomaly.”
The latest disagreement comes shortly after an earlier industrial dispute between ASUP and the polytechnic management.
The union had embarked on a strike over concerns about the administration of the institution but suspended the action after interventions by the Bayelsa State Government and the Visitor to the polytechnic, Governor Douye Diri.
ASUP said the suspension was intended to allow academic activities to resume, stressing that its priority remained the students.
“Our current priority and mandate remain focused on returning to the classroom to teach our students,” the union said.
The management, however, maintained that the officials were expected to attend the September 2 meeting, especially following the suspension of the strike.
According to the queries, records at the Registrar’s office showed that the officials did not notify the appropriate authorities of their inability to attend the meeting and did not provide any explanation either before or after the meeting.
The management consequently described the absence as “a deliberate act of sabotage against the academic progress of the Institution.”
It also referred to the payment of workers’ salaries on September 1, arguing that there was no justification for members of the Academic Board to remain absent from an important academic meeting after the industrial action had been suspended.
The affected officials were given 48 hours to explain their absence, with the management warning that failure to respond could lead to disciplinary action.
ASUP, however, insisted that the queries were unacceptable and demanded their immediate and unconditional withdrawal.
“Consequently, the Union demands the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all queries issued to our members for declining to attend meetings with the retired former Rector,” the union stated.
It warned that failure by the management to withdraw the queries could trigger further industrial action.
“We unequivocally state that ASUP will escalate this matter through appropriate industrial channels should these queries not be withdrawn,” the union warned
