…Govt Owes Over 7 Months of Unpaid Salaries to RUGIPO Workers
…Payment of Pension Not Rgular
…Retired Staff of RUGIPO in Financial Distress With Over 15 Years Without Gratuities
…Several Ondo State Agencies & Institution Still Await New Minimum Wage Implementation
…As five questions beg for answers
The decision by the Ondo State Government to upgrade Rufus Giwa Polytechnic (RUGIPO) to a University of Agriculture and Agrobusiness is one that demands careful scrutiny.
At a time when the state’s economy is under significant strain, and critical sectors such as education, industrial development, and public welfare are crying for attention, this move appears to be ill-advised, financially burdensome, and strategically unnecessary.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s pronouncement of the conversion raises fundamental concerns about policy direction, governance priorities, and economic sustainability.
Ondo State already has three state-owned universities, namely Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, a comprehensive institution offering diverse disciplines, including agriculture; Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, a science and technology-focused institution with agricultural programmes; and the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, a specialised medical institution.
Additionally, two federal institutions in the state already provide agricultural education. The Federal University of Technology, Akure, has a well-established Faculty of Agriculture, while the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, is dedicated to agricultural education and research.
The question, therefore, is what gap this newly proposed university is meant to fill. If the government is truly interested in advancing agricultural education and agribusiness, it would be more cost-effective and academically efficient to strengthen existing universities by expanding their faculties of agriculture rather than creating another entity that will require heavy funding and infrastructure.
Beyond the duplication of universities, the economic realities of Ondo State make this decision even more questionable.
Starnews NG notes that workers of RUGIPO are owed no less than seven months’ salary arrears, while retired staff have not received gratuities in over 15 years. Several government agencies, including Owena Press Limited and the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service and other institutions, have also not received the new minimum wage four months after its implementation.
How does the government justify embarking on a project that will require billions of naira in investment when it is yet to meet its basic financial obligations to workers and pensioners? The cost of running a university extends beyond the initial declaration of intent; it involves salaries, research funding, infrastructural development, accreditation requirements, and long-term financial commitments. Ondo’s public universities are already severely underfunded, struggling with inadequate infrastructure, staffing shortages, and poor academic conditions. It is unclear how the government intends to finance an entirely new university when the existing institutions lack the resources needed to function optimally.
Perhaps one of the most worrisome implications of this decision is the gradual erosion of technical and vocational education in Ondo State. With this upgrade, the state has effectively eliminated its only public polytechnic.
Starnews NG strongly emphasises that polytechnics serve a distinct and critical role in the education system, focusing on practical skills and vocational training. Polytechnics were established to provide hands-on training in technology, engineering, and applied sciences, fields that are vital for industrialisation and economic growth.
By converting RUGIPO into a university, the state is inadvertently reducing opportunities for technical education, despite the fact that Nigeria faces a severe skills gap in these areas.
While universities are important, the elimination of polytechnics suggests a lack of appreciation for the critical role of technical and teacher education in national development. At a time when economic diversification and industrial development should be top priorities, the state government appears to be focusing on academic expansion without clear economic value.
Ondo is blessed with vast natural resources, including bitumen, limestone, and arable land, which, if properly harnessed, could serve as engines of industrialisation and employment generation.
Rather than investing in another university, the government should prioritise developing agro-industrial hubs that can transform raw agricultural produce into processed goods, strengthening existing institutions to improve research and innovation in agriculture, providing financial and technical support for entrepreneurs and agribusiness startups, and reviving the state’s industrial base to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
Without a strong economic base, the proliferation of universities will only increase the number of graduates without employment opportunities, further exacerbating the state’s unemployment crisis.
The government must provide clear answers to the following pressing questions. If RUGIPO’s polytechnic status is a problem, how will converting it into a university solve the existing issues of underfunding and unpaid salaries? What is the government’s sustainable funding plan for this new university, given that existing ones are struggling? How does the state intend to address the absence of a College of Education and a public polytechnic, given their critical roles in education and technical manpower development? Shouldn’t the government be more concerned about economic and industrial development rather than the mere creation of another university? Would it not be more cost-effective to expand and upgrade the agricultural faculties of existing universities rather than create a new one from scratch?
Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration must carefully reassess its priorities. While the expansion of higher education is commendable, it must be done within the framework of economic sustainability, resource availability, and long-term impact. The uncritical duplication of universities, without a corresponding plan for technical education, industrial development, and economic empowerment, is a misplacement of priorities.
A responsible government must ensure that public resources are directed towards initiatives that provide measurable benefits to its citizens. Starnews NG strongly asserts that Ondo State cannot afford to spread its limited resources too thin when there are pressing needs that require urgent attention.
Instead of embarking on this questionable policy shift, the government would do well to adequately fund existing universities to improve infrastructure and academic standards, restore and strengthen technical and vocational education by retaining at least one public polytechnic and a College of Education, address salary arrears and pension issues before committing to new projects, and invest in job creation, industrialisation, and agribusiness to create sustainable employment opportunities.
The role of government is to make strategic, people-focused decisions that ensure economic growth and social stability.
Starnews NG maintains that it is imperative for Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration to prioritise policies that will truly advance the state’s development, rather than pursuing projects that may ultimately prove to be economically unviable and unsustainable.
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