RUGIPO lecturers embark on strike over N3bn salaries, allowances

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo state has embarked on an indefinite industrial action over failure of the state government to pay the outstanding salaries and allowances due to its members.
The union put the indebtedness of government at over N3 billion by the immediate past administration in the state.
They are been owed 10 months salaries, 16 months consolidated salary arrears and promotion arrears for 2015 and 2016.
Speaking with newsmen in Akure, the ASUP chairman, Rafiu Oyawoye, said efforts to make government to answer them and heed to their demands had proved abortive.
He insisted that they would not resume work until government settled the 10 months salary arrears and other demands.
He said, “The inglorious state of neglect and deprivation of our legitimate demands have gotten to an unbearable crescendo. It is in view of these appalling situations that the union is constrained to embark on this total strike action.
“Payments of our 16 months CONPOCASS arrears by the management of the institution effective from July 2009 (It should be noted that all sister institutions within the state has been paid this arrears aside RUGIPO).
“Payments of 10 months unpaid staff salaries for the months of June 2016 to January 2017 as well as July and August 2017 payments of 2015 and 2016 promotion arrears.
The ASUP chairman regretted the failure of the management of the polytechnic to comply with the court order on the reinstatement of their sacked colleagues.
”We need total compliance with court order in respect of ASUP members that suffered political persecution from the former administration through non payment of their outstanding salaries of reinstated academic staff,” he said.
He added “As we await the state government’s actions on our demands as a matter of urgency, which will bring an end to the dispute, we thank the people of Ondo State, particularly our students and their parents for their cooperation, sympathy and understanding of our struggle for a better polytechnic.”
According to Ijawoye, some of the other issues in need of attention include accreditation, decay infrastructure, pension and gratuities, staff development and clandestine employment.
According to him, all programmes being offered by the polytechnic are under treat of being disaccredited due to starvation of funds, while members of staff who retired were not paid pension after serving for between 25 to 30 years in the institution.
ljawoye also lamented that the infrastructure in the school were decaying while clandestine and surreptitious employment were being carried out, adding that no fewer than 50 persons have been employed despite the financial position of the institution.
He however expressed optimism that the Governor Oluwatorotimi Akeredolu-led government would engender positive change to the polytechnic as against its years of neglect by the immediate past administration.
However, while reacting to the development, the Rector of the polytechnic, Idowu Ologunagba, stated that the management had been talking with lecturers in a bid to reach a truce as soon as possible.
Ologunagba said the problems of paucity of funds were not peculiar to the state.