ASUP Commences Indefinite Strike

Compelled by further clarifications and the need for public awareness within and outside Ondo State , it is imperative to place before the court of public opinion the excruciating, debilitating and precarious situation of the welfare of the academic Staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic (RUGIPO) ,the polytechnic community at large as well as the collapsing state of infrastructures in the institution. This unfortunately, is due to palpably lackadaisical and inept attitude of the management and the insensitivity of the government towards the collective goals and aspirations of this oldest institution in Ondo State.

The inglorious state of neglect and deprivation of our legitimate demands have gotten to an unbearable crescendo. It is in view of these appaling situations that the union is constrained to embark on this total strike action as aforesaid and demand as follows:

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

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 acedemic staff

In addition the union requires urgent intervention in the following matters:

Accreditation: as it stands all programmes being offered by the polytechnic are due for accreditation and are under the threat of being deaccredited due apparently to deliberate starvation of funds

Decaying infrastructures, abandonment of ongoing projects, inadequate lecture rooms, acute shortage of accomodation and non availability of seats. A Situation where students have to remain on their feet during lectures is deplorable. As a matter of fact the situation becomes more worrisome during the examinations when students virtually sit on themselves. A seat that shouldn’t take more than three persons during examination is forced to take, at times, eight to nine persons. Exams. In Rugipo can best be described as theatre of absurdity and negation of necessary ethics.

Pension and Gratuities; it’s heart grieving that in Rugipo staffers retire into penury. A situation where upon retirement after serving for 25 years, thirty years and above, one is not sure of retirement benefits.there are several retirees now that are yet to be paid their gratuity and also not being paid pension. It is that bad.

Staff Development; Any institution properly so called is expected to make provisions for staff development, particularly, for conference attendance, researches and further studies. It’s nauseating that the institution has become so crippled right now that it cannot afford to sponsor attendance of conferences by any of its staff, even in owo, not to talk of overseas sponsorship. There is a great need for urgent intervention in this regard if the school must occupy its proper position and be properly described a tertiary institution.

Clandestine and/or Surreptitious Employment; in recent times, inspite of the much tounted lean resources, the institiution has embarked on surreptitious employmernt. It is on record that within the past 14 days over 50 persons have been employed under the guise that it was done on the instruction of Mr. Governor. This therefore is suggestive of deliberate financial strangulation and misrepresentation of the true financial position of the institution by the management.

It is on this premise that the union has engaged the management through diverse consultations as contained in our decision extract to the management of 19th August 2017. As part of our belief in political approach to industrial action, this humble academic and organised union embarked on interfacing with his excellency, Arakunrin Akeredolu through prominent, elderly distinguished sons and indigines of Ondo State including religious leaders requesting for their intervention in resolving the aforementioned issues. Unfortunately, all our efforts ended in futility.

There is no gainsaying the fact that in today’s society acquisition of skills and technologies remain the only option for state reconstruction for sustainable development. It is expected that every sensitive administration will consider this very critical by engaging our institution in productive development. It’s therefore regretable that a once prosperous and resource endowed institution that has produced scholars of diverse specialisations and professionals of note in Nigeria among contemporary polytechnics is now in a state of intensive care unit and in a systemic transition to comatose.

We observed with dismay that the Polytechnic has suffered alienation, meaninglessness, hopelessness and estrangement among comity of state institutions in Ondo State in the area of monthly subventions and other financial benefits. Example of the above assertion was the case of June 2016 subvention given to other tertiary institutions in the state aside Rugipo. The rationale behind this double standard under the office of State Accountant General is yet to be justified.

Whilst we are optimistic that the government of Arakunrin will bring positive change to the polytechnic as against past deprivation, the character of the state government presently remains as it were contrary to our expectations.

As we Await the state government 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, the mass media for their cooperation , sympathy and undertanding of our stuggle for a better polytechnic.