Students of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic have had their 2022/2023 second semester examination postponed until further notice.
The examination, which was initially scheduled to begin on December 18, 2023, was however cancelled due to the inability of the institution to meet the demands of the members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP).
Starnews NG reports that the union is demanding for the full payment of all the salaries arrears owed its members amounting to 11 months.
Earlier in December, ASUP Owo Chapter issued a communique of ASUP regular meeting held on November 28, 2023 to the management of the institution containing the resolution of the last congress where the union unanimously decided it would not participate in the invigilation of the second semester examination untill the 11 months salaries of its members are fully paid.
It would be recalled that the same scenario played out when the 2022/2023 first semester examination was to commence. ASUP directed its members to withdraw from invigilating in the examination.
When the students protested, three months was paid out of the 13 months arrears owed the lecturers as at then, while the management of the institution enjoined the lecturers to bear with the management claiming that the state government is on top of the situation.
They promised that the remaining 10 months will be paid before the end of December, 2023. Eventually, 2022/2023 first semester examination was conducted with the participation of ASUP members of the institution.
Subsequently, the second semester began, which would culminate the end of 2022/2023 academic session. The second examination was scheduled to hold on December 18, 2023.
The students were prepared for the examination. But when the management couldn’t fulfil the promised made to the lecturers to pay the balance of the 10 months, ASUP then directed all its members to withdraw from invigilating the examination.
Consequently, the management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo, through a circular dated 12th December, directed all students to vacate the campus, and go back home for the Christmas holiday.
The circular reads in part, “This is to inform the Polytechnic Community in general and students in particular that Management has declared Christmas break for all students effective from Thursday, 14th December, 2023, before the usual December hike in transportation fare.
The students expected the management of the institution to issue a directive for resumption to enable them to write the examination in early January since the Christmas break was over.
Starnews NG can report that the narrative took a new dimension when on the 2nd of January, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Chapter and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Chapter resumed their suspended Industrial actions.
The gate of the polytechnic was consequently locked.
A student of the institution who pleaded anonymity expressed disappointment at the manner in which the management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, and the Ondo State Government are handling the issue of the welfare of its employees. “I don’t think the future of the students is of any importance to the state government. If the government cares about the students, this issue of owing our lecturers will be a thing of the past.
“This is 2024, we are still in 2022/2023 Academic Session. Since I joined this institution, there have never been a time when the lecturers will not complain of non payment of salary, we dont even know when the institution will call us back to write this exam”, he said.
In a report of the meeting held between the Management and the Unions of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, made available to Starnews NG, the Acting Rector, Mr. Olorunwa Adegun informed the union leaders that the new government in the state would attend to the needs of the Polytechnic very soon. He, however, pleaded with the unions to give the governor time and allow him to settle down.
In reaction, the SSANIP Chairman, Comrade Okoro N. F., in his response, submits that ‘the Unions were aware that the new Governor needs time to settle down, the Unions would not do anything to jeopardize such.
However, the strike action embarked upon by the unions was meant to draw the attention of the government to the plights of the workers. He said the unions need modalities from the government on how the salary arrears would be paid.
He, therefore, appealed to the management to allow the Unions to use their powers to negotiate for the payment of outstanding salary arrears owed workers of the institution, Starnews NG reports.
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