Lectures Yet To Resume In YABATECH

When the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, provisionally suspended its nine-month industrial action on 17 July, 2014, the directive was that all the institutions should commence lectures on 22 July but a visit to some of the institutions in Lagos State has revealed otherwise.

When our correspondent visited Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, there were no signs of academic activities, as most of the students were seen strolling within the school’s premises.

It was confirmed by the students that lectures will not be starting until Monday, 28 July, 2014.

Investigation also revealed that lecturers were yet to make new time-tables available for the new semester.

According to a student of Mass Communication Department, Tosin Ilesanmi, "All academic activities have been scheduled to commence on Monday, 28 July, that’s what we were told by the school management."

"We are yet get the new time-tables for the new semester so everybody is keeping calm at the moment," she added.

Also commenting on the absent of academic activities in YABATECH, Segun Richards, from the Engineering Department, stated that they were sure that the resumption date was mere formality, adding that most students on campus only came to confirm the suspension of the industrial action.

The part two student said: "After staying at home for that long, who wouldn’t jump on the next bus and head for school after the strike had been suspended?

"We already knew how things work here but we wanted to be sure that lecturers had really resumed, that was the reason majority of us were present in school."

Meanwhile, it was a different story at the Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH, Ikorodu Campus.

When our reporter visited the institution on Tuesday, a beehive of academic activities was witnessed, as students had settled down for learning.

It would be recalled that LASPOTECH had pulled out of the ASUP’s industrial action just few days before the national strike was suspended.

The school management had cited ‘unseriousness’ on the part of ASUP leadership for their decision to go back to school.

Contrary to what obtained at YABATECH, when one of the few students seen walking on campus was accosted to find out if lectured had commenced, she said: "We have commenced lectures fully."

"Our school had pulled out of the ASUP strike before it was suspended so it is normal that we would commence academic activities before several other polytechnics," the student added.

Also, a visit to Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Otto-Ijanikin, revealed that the institution, which did not join the Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU strike, was preparing to begin its second semester examinations.

COEASU had joined ASUP in calling off its industrial action after consultation between top hierarchy of the union and the Federal Government.

Speaking with some of the students studying for their degree at the institution, they expressed gladness at not being part of ASUP strike.

"We are excited that the school wasn’t involved in the COEASU Strike.

"The institution also had internal problems but they were quickly resolved and everybody is better off for it," one student told our reporter.

Bidemi Ayomide, a final year student of the institution, who described the refusal of the institution to join the strike as a blessing to the students, said:

"Many people in the school were aware that we did not join the COEASU strike because we also had our own internal issues in the school," the student of Music and French Education disclosed.

"Everybody is preparing seriously for exams now. That is the mood on campus."