The Nigerian government says it has met one critical demand of the striking Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, with the inauguration of federal polytechnics visitation panels and hopes the ongoing action will be suspended at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday this week.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Sonny Echono, at the inauguration of new visitation panels for all federal polytechnics and colleges of education in Abuja, admitted the appalling education standard in the country.
While the President of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, Nuhu Ogirima, applauded the panel’s inauguration, the ASUP faulted the constitution of the panel of six newly approved polytechnics.
Meanwhile, on calls for approval of three or fewer ‘O’ level credits as a minimum requirement to boost JAMB applicants’ subscription for polytechnics and colleges of education, the Federal Government maintained that it will not lower its standard of education for any reason.