ASUP And COEASU Protest In Abuja Met With Police Tear Gas, Union Members Cry

                                     

Protesting members of the striking Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) were Tuesday tear-gassed by the Nigerian Police at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja during a peaceful protest over the lingering strike.

This was after the police barred the protesters from going beyond the main entrance gate to the Ministry of Education.

The unions, at about 8am,  embarked on a peaceful rally to protest the prolonged strike and what they described as government insensitivity to resolving the issues.
ASUP has been on strike since October 2013 and COEASU since December of the same year. Both unions at various times have accused the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike of insensitivity, resort to blackmail, and not working to resolve the issues at stake.

The protesters bore placards bearing various inscriptions "Polytechnic staff and students are not second class citizens of Nigeria," "Give us Goodluck in our sector",  we say no to the neglect of teacher education, Government is systematically killing teacher education".

The President of ASUP, Dr. Chibuzo Asomugha said the polytechnic sector remains disadvantaged by gross under funding.