RismadarVoice Reporters
January 22, 2026
Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) has rejected the reviewed schemes of service for Nigerian polytechnics prepared by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
The union’s National President, Mr. Philip Ogunsipe, disclosed this in a statement released on Thursday, following a stakeholders’ meeting held recently in Abuja.
He said the union’s position was clearly outlined in a minority report submitted to the Minister of Education, Dr. Moruf Alausa.
According to Ogunsipe, SSANIP rejected the revised scheme because it introduces wide disparities between teaching and non-teaching staff at the point of entry into service.
He said the scheme would also undermine career progression for non-teaching staff by preventing those with first degrees from advancing to CONTEDISS 15, which is equivalent to Grade Level 17 in the public service.
The Union noted that documentary evidence from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, which confirms the existence of the CONTEDISS 15 salary structure, as well as similar documents from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, were ignored during the meeting, despite their relevance.
Ogunsipe also faulted comments attributed to the Chairman of the Committee of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology of Nigeria, who reportedly stated that rectors and some non-teaching staff could not retire on the same grade levels. He described the remark as demeaning, elitist and discriminatory, and said it contradicts established public service rules.
With the submission of the minority report, Ogunsipe said SSANIP has passed a vote of no confidence in the ability of the NBTE to produce a fair, balanced and acceptable scheme of service for polytechnics, citing what he described as persistent bias and disregard for extant public service regulations.
The Union appealed to the Minister of Education to objectively examine its protest in the interest of equity, industrial harmony and strict adherence to public service norms. Ogunsipe expressed confidence in the minister’s leadership, describing him as a dispassionate public servant capable of resolving the matter fairly.
SSANIP further stated that recognising its position would ensure that benefits enjoyed by staff in universities and colleges of education are not denied to their counterparts in polytechnics.
The Association also rejected the decision taken at the stakeholders’ meeting to remove the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation from the preparation and approval of schemes of service, describing the move as counterproductive and one it would not support.
