The Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo, RUGIPO, Ondo State chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, on Tuesday protested over the non-payment of their five months salaries by the institution’s management.
The peaceful demonstration stalled academics activities on campus as examination exercise scheduled to begin Tuesday could not hold.
Addressing journalists, the ASUP chairman in the institution, Rafiu Ijawoye accused the Rector of the Institution, Gani Fadahunsi, of high-handedness and insensitive to the welfare of the polytechnic lecturers.
Ijawoye noted that the management refused to pay the backlog of their salaries after allegedly receiving N1.7 billion from the state government.
The ASUP Chairman added that promotion exercise of lecturers had not been conducted since 2017.
“We decided to have a peaceful rally against the opposition and oppression of the school management against the welfare of members.
“l am bringing to the attention of the public the precarious situation and the danger looming in the polytechnic community.
“It is unfortunate that management is insensitive to the plight of the workers. We only believe that the system must move forward. This is a collective struggle because if our courses are dis-accredited as a result of non-payment of salaries it will be a bad omen for the system.
“The governor has done his best in the last few months in bailing us out. Before the last accreditation exercise ,the management was owing us about eight months salaries and the government released N1.7 billion for payment of arrears and other emoluments.
“But it was unfortunate that the management because of its selfish Interest foot-dragging and withhold N500 million out of this money which could have reduced these salaries arears. What did they use the money Mr. Governor gave them for?
“Aside that, 2017 and 2018 promotion is still hanging. We are not second class citizens and it is unfair of the management to withhold our promotion,it is not a privilege but our right. It is under that note that we are expressing our grievances.”
He also alleged that the Rector was planning to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the campus because of his political Interest in the state.
Ijawoye called on the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, to appoint a substantive rector for the institution in order to save the system from collapse.
“The Gani Ogundahunsi led management is deliberately want to cause crisis in the Polytechnic for political reasons. We are are not going to allow that to happen.
“He is suppose to retire by August and we are surprised he is doing this to ASUP and we want to call on the governor to prevail on the rector because he is not capable to led this institution. We want a substantive Rector not acting for this school not to collapse.
“The Rector has single-handedly employed about 250 staffs. He is adding more borden to the system yet he is not paying us,” he said.
Meanwhile, the institution has been closed indefinitely by management.
The acting Registrar, Sule Atiku, in a statement, said the decision was taken in order to prevent any break of law and order.
