….Seek settlement of unpaid RUGIPO Staff Salary; Reopening of AAUA main gate.
Ref. No: JAC/ODSTI/SEC/023
His Excellency,
Hon. (Dr) Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa,
The Executive Governor of Ondo State,
Governor’s Office,
Alagbaka Quarters, Akure,
Ondo State.
His Excellency, Sir,
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MEETING OF THE JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE (JAC) OF THE
ONDO STATE OWNED TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS (ODSTI) HELD ON THURSDAY, 3OTH JANUARY, 2025, AT ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY, AKUNGBA-AKOKO, ONDO STATE.
1.0 PREAMBLE
The Joint Action Committee of Ondo State-owned Tertiary Institutions (JAC-ODSTI)
comprising of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU); the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP); National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) at its first meeting held in year 2025 at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko congratulate the Executive Governor of the Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon. (Dr) Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa on
his overwhelming victory at the last gubernatorial election held on the 16th November, 2024.
JAC-ODSTI-in-session also
appreciates the State Government on the payment of wage award to workers in the State owned tertiary
Institutions. However, JAC-in-session noted the following issues which the state government has not addressed despite promising to do so:
i. Payment of the last tranche of the wage award for the month of November, 2024 to workers in tertiary institutions. The State Government promised to pay workers of the State Owned Tertiary Institutions the Wage Award for six (6) months from June to November, 2024 but only paid five (5) months instead of the 6 months promised. This has created financial vacuum in the economic life of our members since we have not started benefiting from the 2024 National Minimum Wage despite the stoppage!
ii. the promise made by the state government to re-open the maingate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko locked since 2021.
iii. payment of the outstanding six(6) months’ salary owed staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
iv. the promise of the State government to increase the monthly subventions of the state owned tertiary institutions.
v. dissolution and re-composition of Governing Councils in the state owned tertiary institutions.
JAC-ODSTI discussed extensively on the aforementioned issues and other sundry issues affecting the welfare of staff and students of the State-Owned Tertiary Institutions comprising; Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, thus, unanimously resolved as follows:
2.0 OUTSTANDING JANUARY 2017 SUBVENTION
JAC-in-session noted that the State Government has not yet released the withheld January, 2017 subvention to any tertiary institutions in Ondo State despite paying the state civil servants owed salary for the same month by previous administration. JAC-in-session, therefore, passionately appeal for the prompt intervention of His Excellency, Hon.(Dr) Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa by directing relevant MDAs to release this outstanding Subvention without any further delay. His Excellency is also to note that the same plea formed part of the resolution of JAC -ODSTI Communique to the State Government on 12th September, 2024.
3.0 PAYMENT OF OUTSTANDING ARREARS
JAC-in-session noted that workers in the state owned tertiary Institutions are being owed series of arrears by Government/University Management without willingness to offset these arrears. This includes non-payment of Excess Work load allowance arrears, non-payment of Harzard allowances arrears for over 124 months, non-payment of outstanding promotion/incremental arrears for year 2022(50%), 2023 and 2024, and non-payment of outstanding arrears of 25%/35% salary increment for workers in Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko. Also, workers in Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo are being owed Six(6) months outstanding salary arrears. JAC -in session, therefore, appeal to the State Government to kindly cause the payment of these long over due arrears without further delay.
4.0 IMPLEMENTATION OF APPROVED 2025 BUDGET FOR STATE OWNED TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.
JAC-in-session appreciates the State Government for increasing Subventions and approving capital votes/projects for tertiary Institutions as captured in the 2025 budget. It was observed that in the budget, a sum of #6 billion was budgeted for Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, while #3.5 billion, #1.3 billion and #1.8 billion were budgeted for Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa and University of Medical Sciences, Ondo respectively. JAC-ODSTI, therefore, passionately appeal to the Ondo State Government as a matter of urgency to cause the release of all the budgeted amount to these Institutions as captured in the approved 2025 budget.
5.0 NEW NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
JAC-in-session noted with dismay that while the 2024 new National Minimum Wage has been implemented for the entire workforce in the services of Ondo State since November, 2024, those of us in the tertiary Institutions are yet to benefit. Are we not part of Ondo State workforce? This is contrary to the promise made by Mr Governor that Ondo State government would pay the new Minimum wage to all the workers. Therefore, JAC-in-session hereby appeal to the State Government to consider the plights of workers in the state owned tertiary institutions by directing the Management/Governing Councils of the various institutions to commence the payment of the new Minimum wage to workers in the tertiary Institutions with immediate effect. This is to guide against recurrence of delayed implementation as witnessed in the 2019 National Minimum Wage which was implemented four and half years after commencement! As at today, it has not been implemented in Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo!
6.0 CONTINUE PAYMENT OF OLD MINIMUM WAGE IN RUFUS GIWA POLYTECHNIC OWO.
JAC-in-session noted that despite recent plead to His Excellency, Hon. (Dr) Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa on the payment of old minimum wage to workers of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, nothing has been done in this regards. It was noted that as at January, 2025, Staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo are the only workers in the State that are still receiving #18,000 as Minimum wage. JAC-in-session, therefore, appeal to our amiable Governor to kindly direct the implementation of 2019 Minimum wage in Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, without further delay.
7.0 DISSOLUTION OF GOVERNING COUNCILS
JAC-in-session expresses its distastes for the unresourcefulness and lack of impact by the present Governing Councils members in Ondo State tertiary institutions for their lack of vision for the development of the various tertiary institutions in the state. Members of the various Governing Councils in almost all our tertiary Institutions prioritised their welfare above that of the institutions’ community by purchasing exotic, expensive and luxurious vehicles for themselves as well as approving bogus and huge allowances to themselves at the expense of staff/students welfare in our tertiary institutions. JAC-in-session, therefore, wish to remind His Excellency that the entire workforce in Ondo State Owned Tertiary Institutions no longer has trust in the capability of the present crops of Governing Council members to turn around the fortunes of our various institutions, they are no longer relevant and have overstayed their usefulness. We are therefore appealing to His Excellency to dissolve the current crops of Governing Councils in all the tertiary institutions in the state and replace them with selfless, responsible and philanthropic personalities in order to turn around the fortunes of our various institutions in the state.
8.0 RE-OPENING OF THE MAINGATE OF ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY, AKUNGBA AKOKO
JAC-in-session would like to call the attention of Mr. Governor to the persistent closure of the maingate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. This has led the staff and students of the Institution taking the long untarred road leading to permanent site of which commercial cabs and bikes charged exorbitant fares. JAC-in-session passionately appeal to the Governor to fulfill the promises he made to JAC-ODSTI the last time we visited him that the University maingate would be opened as well as reconstructing the adjunct road leading to the permanent site. Also, JAC-in-session appeals to the Governor to direct the immediate opening of the pedestrian gate for the use of the workers and students of the Institution, please.
9.0. CONCLUSION.
JAC-ODSTI wishes to appreciate our amiable Governor for being a listening father. We want to also state that we are peace-loving Unions whose desire is for the development and progress of our various institutions but we shall not compromise the welfare and wellbeing of our distinguished members at anytime. It is on this note that we are appealing that the issues raised above should be looked into without further delay because ‘an hungry man is an angry man’.
Thank you.
Comrade Tayo Ogungbeni
Chairman, JAC-ODSTI
Comrade Kunle Akinwonmi
Secretary, JAC-ODSTI
cc:
The Deputy Governor,
The Chief of Staff to Governor,
The Chairmen & Pro-Chancellors
The Rector & Vice-Chancellors
The Press.
