The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Mubi Chapter, has raised the alarm over alleged prolonged failure by the institution’s management to remit pension contributions deducted from workers’ salaries.
Speaking at a press conference, the chapter’s Chairman, Comrade Kadala Solomon Bandi, alleged that some pension deductions had remained unremitted for between one year and six months and over two years, despite being deducted from staff salaries.
Bandi said the union’s concerns were rooted in provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2014, as amended, which, according to him, requires deducted pension contributions to be remitted to workers’ Pension Fund Administrators within the stipulated period.
He disclosed that the union’s industrial action was largely aimed at securing the remittance of outstanding contributions covering various periods between November 2024 and July 2026.
The union further alleged that some academic staff discovered that pension deductions covering periods of six to ten years had not been remitted under successive administrations of the institution.
Describing the development as a serious threat to workers’ welfare, the ASUP chairman said the situation had compounded other challenges facing the polytechnic.
He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene through the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), stressing that internal efforts to resolve the matter had produced no tangible result.
The union called for an immediate audit and forensic investigation into all unremitted third-party deductions from 2020 to date, as well as the establishment of a clear timeline for settling all outstanding obligations.
ASUP also urged the Federal Ministry of Education and NBTE to constitute a visitation panel to investigate the allegations and recommend appropriate measures.
The union called on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), students, parents and other stakeholders to support efforts to resolve the dispute.
Bandi maintained that urgent intervention was necessary to restore confidence in the institution, protect workers’ entitlements and improve the welfare of staff and students.
The union thanked members of the media and other stakeholders for attending the briefing and appealed for continued support in seeking a resolution to the issues.