By Peter Dada
Members of staff of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State on Wednesday staged a protest against the non-payment of their 10 months salaries and allowances.
The angry workers under the auspices of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics, RUGIPO chapters blocked the main entrance of the institution during the protest.
The protesters, who held leaves in their hands, chanted various solidarity songs against the school and the state government.
They called on the state government to pay all outstanding salaries of their members running to over 10 months, as well as the implementation of N35,000 wage award for the polytechnic’s workers in line with the directives of the Federal Government.
Speaking on the development, the SSANIP Chairman, Comrade Nafiu Okoro, said irregularities of salary payment to the unions’ members had led to untimely deaths of some polytechnic workers.
Okoro said over 10 months’ salaries were being owed workers of the state-owned polytechnic by the institution’s management.
“All non-teaching staff comprising of NASU and SSANIP agreed that government should pay all our outstanding salaries running to over 10 months.
“The N35,000 wage being paid to workers as palliatives in Ondo State should be extended to the institution.”
The state Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Mr Femi Agagu, was not available for reaction as his phone rang but was not picked while the text message sent to him had not been replied to as at the time of filing this report.
