Staffers of Moshood Abiola Poly­technic(MAPOLY), Abeokuta, have called on the government of Ogun State to take over the running of the school, following the failure of the management of the school to meet up with its mandate.
The workers stated this, Wednes­day, while protesting the non-pay­ment of three months’ salary, non-implementation of minimum wage, no promotion since 2019 and unpaid 55 months pension arrears.
Armed with placards with differ­ent inscriptions such as ‘Enough of suffering and smiling’, ‘implemen­tation of minimum wage’, ‘pay our pension deduction (55 months)’, ‘we want new management’, ‘release our promotion as and when due’, ‘please pay our salaries’, etc, the protesters, who had earlier made their way to the administrative block, blocked the entrance to the school.
Speaking with journalists during the protest, the Chairman of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Poly­technics, SSANIP, MAPOLY chapter, Dada Olalekan, said the workers have no future with MAPOLY with the manner with which it is being administered.
Olalekan said the state govern­ment should borrow a leaf from the Oyo, Lagos and Osun State govern­ments by taking over the account of the school and pay directly from the government covers.
Olalekan said; “The reason we are here is to demand for our entitle­ments. The management of MAPO­LY is owing us three months’ salary from October 2022; all other institu­tions and government agencies are collecting minimum wage, MAPO­LY has refused to implement the minimum wage; the management is owing us 55 months pension arrears. As I speak, nobody has a pension fu­ture here. If anybody retires tomor­row, there’s no future or pension for that person.
“The last promotion that was done in MAPOLY was in 2019; 2020 t0 2022 promotions are still in arrears, the appointment promotion has not been done since 2019, colleagues in other institution have overtaken us because of promotion and appoint­ment.
“The government should take account of MAPOLY and start to pay us as it is being done in all other states like Oyo State. Oyo State has more higher institutions and they pay all their salaries before 25th of every month 100%.”