Staff members of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, took to the streets on Wednesday in a compelling protest highlighting their unpaid salaries and pending allowances spanning ten months. Expressing their discontent, the aggrieved workers, representing the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics RUGIPO chapters, barricaded the institution’s main entrance during their demonstration.
With leaves in hand, the protesters voiced their grievances through solidarity chants directed at both the institution and the state government. They urged the state government to fulfill its obligations by settling the long-standing salary dues, which have accumulated over the past ten months. Furthermore, they emphasized the necessity of implementing the Federal Government’s directive of a N35,000 wage award for the polytechnic’s employees.
Addressing the situation, Comrade Nafiu Okoro, the SSANIP Chairman, highlighted the dire consequences of irregular salary payments, citing unfortunate instances of untimely deaths among polytechnic workers due to these challenges.
Okoro stressed the unanimous agreement among the non-teaching staff, comprising NASU and SSANIP, urging the government to promptly settle the outstanding salaries. He also advocated for the extension of the N35,000 wage palliative to cover the institution’s employees within Ondo State.
Despite attempts to obtain a reaction from the state Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Mr. Femi Agagu, neither calls nor text messages yielded a response at the time of reporting.