Ogun State-owned Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Shut

Ogun State-owned Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, was on Wednesday shut down following an indefinite strike by the three unions in the institution.

The striking unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

According to the unions, they were compelled to shut down the institution to press home their demands.

They have cried out to Gov. Dapo Abiodun on the parlous state of affairs in the beleaguered 43-year-old institution.

Persecondnews recalls that the institution was established by the first civilian governor of the state, the late Chief Bisi Onabanjo, a journalist, via
Ogun State Polytechnic Law No. 8 of 12 June 1980 and reviewed as the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Edict 1999.

The unions at different Congresses held earlier today, deliberated among other issues the attitude of the Polytechnic’s management to the welfare of staff especially payment of salaries that was last paid in June 2023.

Immediately after rising from the congresses, lecturers and other staff marched to the Administrative blocks of the institution, chanting solidarity songs in demanding the governor’s intervention in meeting their demands.

They listed the demands as follows:

* Non-payment of salaries and allowances since July, 2023.

* Non – release of the 2019 Appointments and 2020 Promotions to members of Staff.

* Non remittance of Pensions, CTCS and Union’s deductions for over Forty-five (45) months.

* Non-approval of Conversion & Upgrading Exercise to eligible members of staff.

* Management’s financial recklessness and non – challant attitude towards staff welfare etc to mention but a few.

The unions said they had written several letters to the management on the need to prioritize the welfare of members of staff, but the management had turned deaf ears to their yearnings.

The polytechnic in the past few months have recorded loss of lives of some of its staff due to unpaid salaries and allowances as they could not get money to take adequate care of their health.

One of the most recent is the death of Mrs. Kuburat Olonade, which occurred on Saturday, September 30, 2023.

The unions called on Gov. Abiodun to intervene urgently, saying their vote of no confidence earlier passed on the institution’s Rector, Dr Adeoye Odedeji, and the Bursar, Mr Fatai Yekini, stays.