ASUP wants Buhari to sign Polytechnic Act (Amendment) Bill

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics on Wednesday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Polytechnic Act (Amendment) Bill to address many challenges confronting the sector.
Its National President, Usman Dutse, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the union was waiting for the President’s assent to the bill.
Dutse said all observations cited by the president during the Eight Assembly had been rectified, corrected and transmitted.
According to him, the bill had passed through all legislative processes and all observations made by the President initially, had been addressed.
He said: “We are looking forward to his assent on the bill to improve the polytechnic sector in the country as he assumes office for the second term.
“We are waiting, and we are appealing that Mr President should sign the bill into law, because it will help in moving the sector forward.
“The bill when signed into law will address all the bureaucracies in the sector, minimise internal rumblings and problems as well as industrial harmony in the sector.”
The ASUP president recalled that similar attempts were made in the past on the bill, but the president withheld his assent.
He said: “We have made similar attempts during the sixth and seventh assembly, which did not see the light of the day because of some delays.
“We are hoping that this bill will be signed because, in the first instance, the bill was sent, but the president withheld his assent due to some observations.
“However, those observations have been amended and the Bill returned to him.
“We believe that now, there should be no other observation; we hope that the president will assent to the bill.”
Dutse added that the new Act would improve productivity and best practices in Polytechnics and Monotechnics across the country.