On Thursday, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) members of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osura, escalated their demand for a 65-year retirement age by barricading all gates to the university, thereby intensifying the ongoing strike.
Locked gates greeted lecturers and students arriving for early morning sessions as NASU members organized a demonstration to put pressure on the state administration to raise their retirement age to match that of academics.
At the front entrance, the union put up a banner calling on the government to step in and make sure the 65-year retirement policy is followed.
The chief security officer of the organization had to step in to bring things back to order.
Eventually, the gates were opened again, permitting entry to the university, in accordance with his orders.
The strike is currently in its second week, but it will not end despite this decision because the union’s demands are not being satisfied.
Speaking in anonymity, a lecturer proposed that the strike is the result of “resentment” toward the academic staff, who were previously allowed to retire at age 65.
He said, “Blocking the gates and limiting entrance to the institution is going too far,” expressing dissatisfaction of the union’s strategies.
He went on to say that in the academic system, academic staff members can retire at age 65, but professors can retire at age 70, giving them more time for study and intellectual contributions.
“Non-academic staff members might think about moving into academic roles and contributing to knowledge development through book authoring and research if they want to enjoy similar benefits,” he continued.
The strike is still ongoing, raising tensions and making a resolution improbable.
