Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun
By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun on Monday appealed to the aggrieved workers of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo, RUGIPO, to call off their protest and continue to toe the path of peace.
He made the appeal in an exclusive interview with The Radiance in his office, after meeting the leaders of the institution’s chapters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, SSANIP, and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP.
Ajibefun, a former Rector of the institution, and also a former Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, AAUA, urged the protesting staff to toe the path of peace in resolving whatever issues, as he did when he was their Rector.
His words: “I said that I was their Rector, and that I pursued a peaceful, and regular academic calendar during that time, because there cannot be progress without peace.
“I advised them to continue to pursue peace, that any disruption of their academic calendar, and academic activities will not allow the development of the institution.
“So, I encouraged the union leaders to pursue their requests, and demands in a peaceful manner.
“I told them that closing gates is not a good thing; closing their institution’s gates is not a good thing. Protesting is not a good thing, that it will put their institution in bad light. That whatever agitation they have, they should come and sit down and settle it.
“I also let them know that Mr. Governor is very very committed to the welfare of the staff of the institution.
“Mr. Governor, on assumption of office, met 13 months of unpaid salaries of the staff of RUGIPO. He cleared these, remaining only three months.
“He promised them that he would clear the remaining three months, that they should have faith in that. They should be confident in a man who had cleared 10 months of backlog of salaries within a short period. The remaining three months shouldn’t be a problem for him to clear that.”
Ajibefun said: “Mr. Governor has a lot of things to attend to. Polytechnic is less than one percent of the things he attends to. So, if he has not attended to them, they should see it not as a promise that will not be fulfilled.
“So, I advised them to be patient a little bit, and that I will take their request to Mr. Governor. And that I am very, very confident that soon, the request will be attended to.”
Earlier on Monday morning, the Executive Committee of the local chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, SSANIP, had in a statement, called out its members for a peaceful protest against the alleged refusal by the Management to implement the new National Minimum Wage for the institution’s workers, and pay them three months salary arrears, and some allowances, among other grievances.
The protesters had trooped out as early as 8.00 am, carrying placards, singing solidarity songs, and Yoruba song: “Iya yii to, Iya yii to o; Iya yii to Governor, ko ba wa l’ara mu”. They locked the main entrance gates to the institution. But they were peaceful.
Some of the placards read: “Ebi n pa wa o”; “Staff of RUGIPO are not slaves”; and “Pay us new National Minimum Wage”; among several others.
Addressing the protesters, RUGIPO’s SSANIP Chairman, Comrade Saka Olokungboye, reeled out the workers’ grievances, and demands, as he thanked his colleagues for trooping out en masse to honour the union’s call for the peaceful protest.
In an interview with The Radiance, he said: “We held a peaceful protest to inform Nigeria and Nigerians that RUGIPO is the only institution in Nigeria that is still on N18,000 minimum wage, while all categories of workers in Ondo State since October 2024 have been receiving the new minimum wage.
“We came out this morning to say that enough is enough, and that the government should pay us our legitimate right.”
He said: “Management did not come to address us. We were not even expecting it. We have written so many letters to the state government. We have given so many ultimatums to Management since October 2024.
“By now, we have gone past the level of Management. We are talking to the state government because RUGIPO is a state school.
“At the same time, we are appealing to good conscience Nigerians to help us appeal to the state government to pay us our entitlements.”
After the protest, SSANIP, and ASUP officials, led by their chairmen, Comrade Saka Olokungboye; and Comrade Ade Arikawe, dashed to Akure, the state capital for a meeting with the Commissioner for Education, and Technology in his office.
On the outcome of the meeting, which lasted about two hours, Arikawe told The Radiance at the commissioner’s office that Ajibefun promised to meet the governor, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa on their grievances, and demands.
He said: “The commissioner promised to meet the governor on our agitation, and that something positive will come out from it.
“The implementation of the new National Minimum Wage, and payment of the backlog of our salaries have given us a lot of challenges. We appeal to the government to do the needful.”
Also, Olokungboye said: “We want to appreciate the honourable commissioner for Education for inviting us. That means government has shown sincerity.
“He has told us his mind, that we should go back and suspend the protest. We have not given a categorical answer because we are products of congress.
“”We are still going back to our respective congress to inform them. It is the decision of the congress that we will communicate to the honourable commissioner.”
When contacted by The Radiance at about 2.10 pm, the institution’s spokesman, Mr Olumide Olugosi said: “Management is aware of the peaceful protest. And Management is engaging the stakeholders for discussion on ways to resolve the issue.
“But I can assure you that everybody has returned to office. Everything is in order. There is order. There is calmness.”
The SSANIP, in its statement had alleged that successive administrations in the state have neglected the institution’s workforce, and denied them several welfare packages enjoyed by their counterparts in other sister Institutions.
It was titled “Refusal by Management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo to pay the new National Minimum Wage to members of Staff, (SSANIP – RUGIPO inclusive) – A call for a Peaceful Protest”
According to the statement:
“It is on record and within the Knowledge of the State Government that it is only her institution that is still on #18,000 minimum wage.
“This was a minimum wage that has been replaced by another one since April 18, 2019.
“When the new National minimum wage was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2024, Ondo State Government started its own payment in October, 2024 with the exclusion of staff of the Polytechnic.
“Several attempts have been made by Unions on campus on the payment of the new Minimum wage all to no avail.
“Ondo State Government has been foot dragging on the payment of the approved minimum wage to the staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo while other categories of workers in the state have been receiving the new wage 15 months ago. Why the Ondo State Government has continued in this manner remain unknown to the institution.
“In the face of the harsh economic reality of today, the #18,000 minimum wage paid to the staff of the Polytechnic is grossly inadequate and is putting an unbearable financial constraints on our members.
“SSANIP members have been turned to beggars. They can barely feed their families and have become a laughing stock among the people in the community, most especially Landlords and land-ladies who now consider them as social misfits and financially unstable.
“Our members are important members of their various communities and the fact that they worked in a Polytechnic should not be the basis for the total neglect of their welfare by the State Government.
“SSANIP rejects outright Ondo State Government endless empty promises and unconcerned attitude towards the welfare and plight of our members.
“Those empty promises that decimate the living standards of our members .
“The National minimum wage is a law that must be respected. Our demand for the payment of the minimum wage to our members since 2024 is never a privilege but a legitimate right. We can no longer watch our members being denied of their legitimate entitlement while other workers enjoy same in the same State.
“Ondo State belongs to all of us!
“In view of the above, all members of SSANIP are hereby DIRECTED to convocate at the Polytechnic’s main gate on Monday, 16th February, 2026 for a peaceful protest untill our demand is met by Management/State Government.
“This directive includes our members who are on essential duties such as Security and Health Workers. Also, members in the offices of Principal Officers of the Polytechnic are enjoined to strictly adhere to this directive.
“SSANIP Excos would be on ground to co-ordinate this peaceful protest.”
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