The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Imo State Polytechnic Omuma, chapter, has given the state government 14-days ultimatum to address some of the lingering issues in the institution, which they described as “pathologically chronic”.
The Union stated this in a text of a press conference dated November 25, 2025. The text which was signed by the Chairman of ASUP, Imo State Polytechnic Chapter, J.C Offurum and captioned “Resolution of the Q4-2025 Chapter Congress on 14-days ultimatum for state government’s attention” reads in parts; It has become unbearable that we tilt towards an aggressive call for action as a means of drawing the attention of His Excellency to the chronic issues that have kept us behind realities in the scheme of things for many years.
Several of our problems have become too chronic, though solvable with His Excellency’s approvals. These include, but not limited to the following.
We sincerely draw the attention of His Excellency to this broad day disadvantage, which is not just demoralizing, but a cause to industrial disharmony.
The Union also frowned at what it          described as the improper placement of the school’s academic and non-academic staff, pointing out that the development has severely altered the process cadre and seniority in the system. “Following the improper placement as it’s young employees tend to earn higher than age-long employees with same qualification and in some cases, of lesser qualification. Imagine a scenario where such variance affects authority, as a result of this abnormality, Imo Poly staff often wear moody faces when others are smiling during the recent implementation of the New Minimum Wage salary structure by the government”.
“It is also saddening that retired staff to be captured in the state pension scheme. “For this vexations denial, majority of our retire colleagues have been subjected to hunger, lack and deprivation while many have been sent to their early graves. We have, as a united front made several presentations to the government with a view to addressing the situation to no avail”.
ASUP, also complained abruptly the non-payment of the March 2018, April 2018 and February 2020 omitted salaries.
Pitiable as it may appear, these monthly salaries were selectively paid to certain number of staff then, using unknown parameters. We have taken up this matter severally (with the requisite documents submitted to the state authorities), and yet here we are. May someone try to imagine this disadvantage that we have suffered over the years.
We are not comfortable that once in every while, we are subjected to suffer from one form of deprivation or the other.
Severally, we have begged that this issue is unwarranted, and so should be resolved, but nothing positive have been achieved. We are also not abreast of any punishment recommended by any committee in this regard. It is unheard of that some of our colleagues, amidst other challenges, have been without salaries for over past 48 months now, yet they come to work, and attend to their duties.
Pathetically, the management of the Imo State Polytechnic is not helping matters in this regard. Staff growth is as important as employee diligence to duty. We demand that the annual promotion exercises of 2023 and 2024 be released, without further delays, to acquaint our staff of their growth, and enable them have a progress plan, like their counterparts in other institutions. This, however, is singled out among other related anomalies bedeviling us in the Polytechnic.
It will never give room for a good work environment that Administrators, such as Heads of Departments/Units and Deans of Schools/Directors of Directorates, depend on self-sponsorship to run their official assignments. We request a routine (monthly) appropriation to them from the monthly Imprest given to the Polytechnic (no matter how small), to enable an improved service, in line with prevailing circumstances.
In the midst of these our travails, nevertheless, we have remained supportive to all that warrants our due diligence to the good ambitions of His Excellency towards the educational upliftment of the State. However, lack of commensurate act of reciprocity to our unflinching commitment to service has compelled us to employ this medium to request better attention, which, in turn, will be proportional to our inputs to duty, in line with the shared prosperity mantra of the state government.
We, therefore, call on His Excellency, the Education-loving governor of our dear state, to as a matter of urgency, prevail on these our situation, within this window of 14-days, after which we may be left with no other option, but to embrace Industrial Disharmony. We, also, crave the unreserved indulgences of all of you, the press crew, to lend your voices in helping us reach out this message to the desired end point.