Strike Looms In MAPOLY, As Lecturers Give December 31 Deadline For Payment Of Outstanding Salaries - EDU-BIZNEWS

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Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Strike Looms In MAPOLY, As Lecturers Give December 31 Deadline For Payment Of Outstanding Salaries



Strike seems to be looming at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) in Abeokuta, following a fresh threat by lecturers who are accusing Ogun State Government , Governing Counçil and management of the tertiary institution of not paying their salaries and allowances for three months 

Chairman of the Academic staff Union of Polytechnics ,(ASUP) branch of the institution, Babatunde Osifalujo and General Secretary, Tomisi Adegunle who issued the threat in a jointly signed open letter dated on behalf of the workers of which a copy was made available to Edu-biznews on Wednesday, gave the rector and management uptill 31st of December, 2022 to clare the three months outstanding salaries for October till December or face Industrial action

The union in the letter dated 28th of December, 2022, also expressed its displeasure over the unpaid claims of part-time academic staff which it allegedly put at consecutively seven months

ASUP therefore described as uncharitable the claim by a top official of the State Government on a live radio programme that government was not aware of the financial plight of MAPOLY

The union urged the State Government to be alive to its financial obligations to the institution through regular payment of monthly subvention to the polytechnic , saying MAPOLY is not private entity that should be left to survive on its own

ASUP also called on the management to urgently fix the problems with the portal of the institution which is making it difficult for students to pay tuition and other necessary fees , thereby denying the polytechnic the required Internally General Revenue

Rector of the Institution, Dr. Adeoye Odedeji had earlier in his Christmas message published by Edu-biznews, commended the staff of the polytechnic for their understanding over the unpaid salaries and allowances assuring them of adequate welfare packages in the coming year of 2023 

The union however in the open letter to the rector and management, expressed the committment of the academic  staff to the upliftment of the institution but not at the detriment of its members who are perpetually celebrating the new year in penury and want.

 
The below is the copy of the letter which reads in parts :

28th December, 2022

The Rector,
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic,
Ojere, Abeokuta,
Ogun State.

Dear Sir.
OPEN LETTER TO THE MANAGEMENT OF MOSHOOD ABIOLA POLYTECHNIC.

The Union writes to express the displeasure of its Congress subsequent to the inability of the Management to as at this date pay our salaries for the months of October to December 2022. The recent comments made by a senior Ogun State Government official on a radio Live Broadcast, claiming that the Ogun State government is not aware of the financial plights of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) made the matter worst.

We consider the statement made in the public by the Public Officer not only to be pathetic but uncharitable; especially when one considers that members of staff of the Polytechnic have remained committed to duty despite been deprived of their monthly salaries and allowances for three (3) consecutive months. Even Part-Time teaching Claims have remained unpaid for Seven (7) consecutive semesters. 

We are particularly grieved because of the lackadaisical attitude of both Government and Management towards the welfare of our members. 

Ours, is the only state in Nigeria where a public educational institution is left to finance both her recurrent and capital expenditure from it's Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). The Management on its part has not seen any reason to have ensured that even the meagre IGR comes in promptly. Or how do we describe a situation where newly admitted students find it difficult to pay because somebody can not put the portal in the right shape? The Management needs to timely enable the students to register and commence payments on the Polytechnic portal.

We therefore reiterate that Moshood Abiola Polytechnic is not a private entity but an Ogun State Government owned institution; as such the State Government must rise to take up her responsibility. 

The Union therefore demands that the Ogun State Government, the Governing Council and the MAPOLY Management should ensure that our members are paid all the outstanding salaries and part claims on or before the 31st of December, 2022. Failure to grant this request may make it difficult for the Union to continue to guarantee industrial harmony on campus.

We remain committed to the upliftment of our dear institution, but not at the detriment of perpetually celebrating the new year in penury and want.


OSIFALUJO, Babatunde - Chairman ADEGUNLE, Tomisi - General Secretary

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