House Assembly intervenes in Ondo poly workers’ salary dispute
The Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday intervened in the crisis rocking the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, over unpaid salaries of the workers.
Members of staff of RUGIPO on Tuesday protested against non-payment of six months’ salaries.
The workers also accused the state government of failing to implement the national minimum wage.
The workers are under the umbrella of the Non-Academic Staff Union and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics.
Speaking at the plenary, the Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Olamide Oladiji, said the House had no option but to constitute an ad-hoc committee to investigate the protest.
Oladiji said the committee had two weeks to thoroughly investigate and report its findings to the House.
The Speaker, however, expressed concern over crises, adding that the polytechnic appeared to be the only state-owned institution frequently afflicted by salary crises, despite similar funding structures across institutions.
The House, therefore, appointed Mr Steven Abitogun (Akure South 2/APC) as chairman of the committee with a mandate to find lasting solutions to the dispute.
Meanwhile, the speaker announced a four-week recess from April 11 to May 15 to allow lawmakers to attend to pressing issues within their respective constituencies and observe the Easter celebration.
Oladiji also thanked the members for their continuous support and cooperation since the beginning of the 10th Assembly.
“ You may recall that the House had to cut short its earlier recess in December to attend to the screening and confirmation of commissioner-nominees sent by the state governor.
“I sincerely thank you all for prioritising your constitutional responsibilities, especially in representing the interests of your constituents,” he said.
NAN
