SSANIP Rejects Reviewed Schemes Of Service For Polytechnics

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) has rejected the Schemes of Service for Nigerian Polytechnics prepared by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja on Monday, January 19, 2026.

In a minority report addressed to the Honourable Minister of Education and signed by its National President, Comrade Philip Adebanjo Ogunsipe, SSANIP expressed displeasure with the reviewed schemes, citing the wide disparities they introduced.

The Association stated that it rejected the schemes because they created sharp disparities between teaching and non-teaching staff at entry points of employment.

The letter further explained that the schemes would deny non-teaching staff career progression, as they prevent the movement of staff with first degrees to CONTEDISS 15 (equivalent to GL 17).

Ogunsipe noted that documentary evidence, including records from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission confirming the existence of the CONTEDISS 15 salary structure, as well as similar documents from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, were ignored at the meeting despite their relevance.

The National President also expressed regret over comments by the Chairman, Committee of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology of Nigeria (COHEADS), suggesting that Rectors and some non-teaching staff could not be on the same grades at retirement—a statement Ogunsipe described as demeaning, elitist, discriminatory, and contradictory to public service rules.

“With this minority report, the Association hereby passes a vote of no confidence in the ability of the NBTE to provide fair, balanced, and acceptable Schemes of Service for Polytechnics in Nigeria, given the persistent bias and disregard for extant public service regulations,” Ogunsipe said.

The Association appealed to the Honourable Minister of Education to examine the protest letter with total objectivity, in the interest of equity, industrial harmony, and strict adherence to established public service norms.

Ogunsipe expressed SSANIP’s strong confidence in the Minister’s leadership, describing him as a dispassionate public servant. The Association emphasized that considering SSANIP’s position on this matter will ensure that Polytechnics are not denied the parity enjoyed by universities and colleges of education.

SSANIP also rejected the decision taken at the stakeholders’ meeting to exclude the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation from the preparation and approval of the Schemes of Service, pointing out that it is the only federal government agency legally mandated to perform this role.