By Rotimi Ojomoyela

Ado-Ekiti—academic and administrative activities were paralysed yesterday, at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, following a protest by irate staff of the institution over what they alleged as fraudulent refusal of the management to implement the approved salary scale for their academic staff.

The protesting workers insisted that the academic staff of the institution still have their starting point on consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Scale 7 instead of contiss 8 as approved, and which are being adhered to in other Federal Polytechnics across the federation.

The protesters included the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ASUP, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANIP and Non Academic Staff Union, NASU.

The protesters blocked the school’s main entrance as early as 6am, chanting hate songs even as they prevented both human and vehicular movement in and out of the institution. They also carried placards alleging fraudulent practices, insensitivity to the plight of staff, and other corrupt practices against the management.

Many students of the institutions also joined in the protest over obnoxious charges on school fees by the management.

While addressing newsmen, Chairman of Ekiti State chapter of ASUP, Mr Tunji Owoeye, said: “We are here protesting the injustice we have been enduring for several months. We want to show the world that the academic staff here are being marginalized and as long as they are being marginalized, we will continue to protest until the powers that be would allow true policies to be adopted and used for a single system of the Polytechnic system in Nigeria.