Ondo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the alleged privatisation of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Primary and Secondary Staff Schools, Starnews reports.
In a statement by Zadok Akintoye, Director of Media and Publicity, the PDP call on the governor to immediately rescind its decision, adding that the good people of Ondo State can not be made to suffer for the mismanagement of public institutions by alleged crony capitalists of the governor who are masquerading as public administrators.
The PDP said: “We received yet again with sadness the news of alleged privatisation of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Staff School to cronies of government by the governing council.”
“The Akeredolu-led government has shown manifestly that it is averse to the provision of affordable, subsidised and good quality education to our people from inception of their administration.”
“The last three years of this administration had witnessed maladministration of public institutions, unprecedented increase in tuition fees, with over 400% increment in most cases, thus leading to many of our teeming youths withdrawing from school because they cannot afford the abnormal increments.”
“The inability of government to alleviate the oppressive poverty unleashed on the people by the APC government in Ondo State is alarming. All the tertiary institutions in Ondo State have arrears of salaries to both Academic and Non Academic staff despite the increment in the Internally Generated Revenue.”
“The government also reduced the monthly subvention to all tertiary institutions, forcing them to find more ways of exploiting the students in a bid to stay afloat.”
“The latest act of deliberate disdain and unconcern to the plight of the people, is the planned sales of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Staff School, which currently provides educational succor to hundreds of children of members of staff and the host community.
“We are aware that the Governing Council of the Polytechnic led by Mr. Banji Alabi, has issued letters of disengagement of services to the affected staff of the institution, effectively terminating their means of livelihood.
Yesterday, reports filtered in that the staff schools of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo, were allegedly privatised by the State Government through the governing council. Attempt by Starnews to confirm the news proved abortive as the chairman governing council did not pick his phone calls.
But while condemning the act on Wednesday, the PDP said: “We condemn this anti people’s policies of the APC-led government, and call on the government to rescind its decision immediately.
“It is on record that the institution (primary and secondary schools) of Rufu Giwa polytechnic, have been in existence for a very long time, providing quality primary education for the children of staff and others without any reason to be closed down, or sold by Akeredolu’s predecessors.”
“We condemn the privatisation at this time when lecturers are being owed huge backlog of salaries. Our party therefore joins in solidarity with the members of staff of the affected institution, to demand that this decision is rescinded immediately,” the statement added.
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