A’Ibom Poly non-teaching staff demand 65-year retirement age

The ongoing strike by the Non-Academic Staff Union of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osura, in the Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of the state, took another turn on Thursday as union members barricaded the institution’s gates to press their demand for the implementation of a 65-year retirement age.

The PUNCH reports that students and lecturers rushing for early morning lectures were denied entry into the campus as all the gates were blocked by the aggrieved union members.

The workers displayed a banner at the gate with the inscription: “Please come and salvage the situation by directing the implementation of a 65-year retirement age.”

It was gathered that the intervention of the Chief Security Officer of the institution helped bring the situation under control, as he ordered the gates to be opened.

One of the lecturers, who pleaded anonymity, said the NASU strike at the institution was driven by jealousy toward the academic staff, who had been granted a 65-year retirement age.

“In the university system, professors have a retirement age of 70 years, and other academic staff members have a 65-year benchmark,” the lecturer said.

“The additional five years is for research and writing books, allowing them to contribute their accumulated experiences back to the academic community before retiring. If the non-academic staff members want a 65-year retirement age, they should change their status to academic staff and enjoy that privilege. They should also write books to contribute to knowledge in the academic community,” he added.

Reacting to the situation, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Moses Umobong, said that the union had intended to lock the gates on Thursday morning, but he issued a directive that prevented them from carrying out their plan.

“Nothing happened. The non-academic staff wanted to lock the gates, but I ordered that they should remain open, and they complied,” he said.