Academic and business activities were on Tuesday paralysed at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo state, as workers of the institution blocked all the entrances into the campus to protest and demand payment of accumulated salary arrears and promotions.
The protesting workers, who accused the management and governing council of the institution of refusing to pay their salaries for over eight months and non-promotion of workers for three years, however, called on Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to intervene as a matter of urgency in the poor management of the polytechnic by the current authorities.
Chris Olowolade, chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), said “We have spoken with the management several times about our grievances, nothing was done till today and that is why we embark on this peaceful protest to seek the intervention of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. We plead for the payment of our salary arrears for about 8months.
Read Also: NLC suspends protest in Kaduna
“Workers deserve their wages, we can no longer cater for our families as a result of non-payment of our salaries; we beg Mr Governor to look into our plight at RUGIPO.”
But, Gani Ogundahunsi, the rector of the institution, while addressing the protesters, pleaded with them to exercise patience with the management and the state government in order to attend to their demands.
