….As OAUSTECH Staff protest unpaid N35,000 wage award.
GOVERNOR AIYEDATIWA APPROVES N1.2B TO COMPLETE ABANDONED PROJECTS IN OAUSTECH
- Offers automatic employment to Best Graduating Student
Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on Monday said his administration will release the capital grant of 1.2 Billion Naira in the 2024 budget to the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa for speedy completion of abandoned buildings of the School of Science and others.
Governor Aiyedatiwa stated this at the 2nd Convocation ceremony of the institution, reiterating that the institution’s monthly subvention of 91 Million Naira will also be given due consideration to enhance the operations of the school.
The Governor also promised to facilitate the completion of the abandoned hostel buildings being funded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) without further delay.
The Governor, who commissioned the new Central Engineering Workshop Complex in the institution, commended the grand vision of the founding fathers of the institution for their foresight and commitment to the development of the school.
He said: “I am specially honoured to address this 2nd Convocation. This marks my historic and inaugural attendance as the Visitor to the university, since my assumption of office in the last 69 days.
“I have no doubt that your upcoming School of Maritime Transport and Logistics at Ugbonla which is at 60% completion by OSOPADEC is very timely and will be of immense advantage to the Ondo State Deep Seaport Project and the development of Blue Economy in the country at large.”
The Governor, who congratulated the graduands on the feat, urged them to make the school, Ondo State, the country and their parents and guardians proud.
Governor Aiyedatiwa expressed appreciation to his predecessor, Late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, for his untiring efforts geared towards developing the institution, promising to build on the legacy.
Part of the highlights of the event was announcement of an automatic employment offer from the Ondo State Government to the Best Graduating Student, Adedayo Taiwo Janet, by the Governor, amidst excitement.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Adebo Adesomoju, thanked Governor Aiyedatiwa for directing the continuation of the ongoing construction of some internal roads in the institution.
Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
March 4, 2024.
As OAUSTECH Staff protest unpaid N35,000 wage award.
Protest by workers of the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, OAUSTECH, Ondo state, has marred the institution’s second convocation ceremony.
The workers under the Joint Action Committee of all Tertiary Institutions, protested the non-payment of N35, 000 wage award by the Ondo State government.
They displayed placards with various inscriptions such as “All we are saying, pay us wage award”; “We deserve N35,000 wage award, pay us”; “Wage award is our right, don’t deny us”; “We patronize the same market, pay us N35,000 wage award,” among others
Since last week, the workers of all institutions owned by the state government had embarked on indefinite strike.
Speaking on the protest the state Chairman of JAC of the institution, Comrade Dayo Temola, expressed displeasure over the alleged inability of the government to pay the wage award and some other allowances.
Temola said: ”Our joint demand is that they should pay us our N35, 000 wage award that had been paid to all categories of workers in the state. We are also demanding implementation of 2019 minimum wage.
”We are in 2024, yet we have not got 2019 minimum wage, it is shameful and we patronize the same market with other workers who have been receiving .
”Everybody knows what is currently going on in the country even our current salaries can’t take us to the office again for a month.
”We also demand that the monthly subvention of the school should be increased by 100 percent. The government promised us N91million on paper and has been giving us N63milliion.
“It is far low to the wage bills of the university as we speak the university is owning billions of naira from cooperatives and some other allowances. That is our agitation.”
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has however invited the protesting workers to Akure, the state capital, for dialogue.
