FEDPOLY Ado-Ekiti authorities, workers on the warpath Stoppage of CONTISS 15 is at the centre of a crisis tearing apart the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, KAMARUDEEN OGUNDELE writes The ongoing crisis rocking the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, began last September with the workers demanding a probe of the financial records of the institution and accusing the Rector, Mrs. Theresa Akande, of high handedness. Six months after, there seems to be no end to the crisis, with members of staff and the authorities still beating the drums of war. While the workers, through their unions, are demanding the sacking of the rector, she says their action is aimed at tainting her records. Earlier during a protest staged under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics and Non-Academic Staff Union, the workers also demanded the dissolution of the school’s Governing Council over what they described as the “inability of the team to provide quality leadership.” They made the call while declaring a strike over the non-payment of their Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure 15, reportedly approved on October 2, 2013 by the Federal Government for federal polytechnics, among other demands. The aggrieved workers carried placards with different inscriptions, such as “Akande, pay us our money,” “Federal poly is a one-man show,” “N16m for one overseas trip,” “Do we have a Governing Council? ICPC, EFCC come to our aid.” The leaders of the unions – Dr. Ayeni Oluwole (SSANIP), Tunji Owoeye (ASUP), Adekunle Adeniyi (NASU) and the National Secretary of SSANIP, Mr. Monday Jegede, who accused the management of non-remittance of N250m deducted from workers’ salaries into the staff cooperatives – equally vowed that they would not hold any dialogue with the management until all their demands have been met. Owoeye said, “We will not have anything to do with the management because it has committed illegality and must face the wrath of the law. “It is illegal to reduce workers’ salary without recourse to the law. They have to look into this and pay us in full. There is the need to fulfil this condition before we can discuss with the management.” Jegede, who also warned that workers would not to resume work, noted that sanction awaits any worker who betrays them. However, the management of the institution claimed that the stopping of the CONTISS 15 payment was due to a directive from the Federal Government. It also said that the call for the sacking of the rector and the Governing Council was ill motivated The polytechnic’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Protocol, Mr. Adeyemi Adejolu, while dismissing the allegations, said the protest was to tarnish the image of the rector and members of the Governing Council. Adejolu said, “This time around, the Federal Government is saying that any rector that has paid CONTISS 15 should refund it, while whoever has not paid should stop it. So, it is a directive from the government. “The monthly salary of the polytechnic is over N230m, while the government is releasing just N178m.” He said rather than go to the bank to borrow money, the management negotiated and agreed with the leaders of the cooperatives to delay the check-off dues. He added, “I don’t know the exact amount the cooperative is being owed but I am sure it is not up to N250m the workers alleged. The management of the polytechnic finds the protest very disturbing and anti-progress. “Some of the issues raised by the protesting unions had been discussed and amicably resolved, while other issues were being critically considered at the level of the polytechnic, the National Assembly and other relevant agencies of the Federal Government. “On the alleged demotion of some members of staff or reduction in their salaries, the issue arose due to a directive mandating federal polytechnics to halt forthwith the implementation of the second phase of CONTISS 15 payment. This was because it was neither budgeted for nor its attendant allowances cash-backed in the 2014 personnel grant received by the institution.” But the explanation given by the authorities did not satisfy the workers. Little wonder, last January 5, they not only shut the school, they also urged the Federal Government to sack the rector. They accused her of not remitting about N350m cooperative’s funds as well as engaging in illegal pension deductions, especially those of contract staff in disregard to the Polytechnic Financial Regulations. Besides, for Owoeye and Adeniyi, the rector also engaged in arbitrary promotion of workers. While Adeniyi accused the rector of elevating some workers based on her relationship with them, Owoeye urged the Minister of Education, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, to direct Akande to step aside pending the completion of investigations. The rector, again, through Adejolu, dismissed the allegations, accusing the union leaders of having a hidden agenda. According to her, they should await the outcome of the probe they jointly called for before resorting to protest. Akande said, “Why can’t they wait for the outcome of Federal Government’s intervention in this matter? They had petitioned the EFCC and ICPC and the anti-graft bodies are intervening. I expect that they await the outcome if they are not pursuing a selfish agenda.” The rector, who said her administration had been transparent in all its financial dealings, accused the workers of not following due process before embarking on the indefinite strike. As the battle rages, the National Association of Nigerian Students, Ekiti State chapter, has called on Nigerians to prevail on the trade unions to call off their strike. In a statement dated January 13 and signed by its Chairman, Mr. Adetunji Bankole, the association described the call for the sacking of the rector as “ill motivated.” Bankole said, “Our recent investigation at the Federal Ministry of Education; National Board for Technical Education, and about eight different polytechnics showed that the stoppage of CONTISS 15 the striking trade unions are fighting for was a directive from the Federal Government and not a decision of the rector. “We have spoken to student leaders of different polytechnics and have realised that no polytechnic in Nigeria is still paying CONTISS 15. Then why should the striking staff waste students’ time and resources? Why can’t they face the Federal Government and stop tarnishing the image of the rector.” “We also advised all those clamouring for the rector to resign due to the Ekiti Agenda to kindly resist from such an act and stop politicising the institution on ethnic basis, as it is a federal institution. Presently, there are so many federal institutions in other states that have Ekiti indigenes as their heads. So, what are the trade unions talking about?” But ‘Tell that to the marines’ seems to be the reaction of the ASUP members in the school. The lecturers, who met last Monday, resolved to continue with the industrial action. The development not only forced the authorities to shut the institution the following day, it also provoked a protest from the students. The rector, who, in a statement, said the closure was “a mid-semester break for its full time programme,” directed all full time students to return home and await further instructions. Reacting to the closure, the NANS South West Coordinator, Sunday Ashefon, made a U-turn, demanding the removal of the rector over her failure to reconcile with the aggrieved unions. He further claimed that the tuition in school was outrageous, just as it lacks the necessities for conducive learning. The authorities of the school, he also alleged, owed the Benin Electricity Distribution Company about N2.5m electricity bills, a development that have thrown the hostels into darkness. Also, the Vice-Chairman of NANS in the state, Oluwapelumi Ogunmekun, accused the management and union of playing games with the destiny of the students. According to Ogunmekun, the Student Union Government of the polytechnic has been compromised by the management; hence, the invitation to NANS to “fight on behalf of the students.” But the polytechnic SUG President, Oladapo Ajibola, denied the allegation, saying he was part of the protest to ensure the resolution of the industrial action in the school. He explained that the students had been on the campus since January 4 without any academic activity going on, saying the student union would have another meeting with the management to find a way out of the crisis. Meanwhile, the Deputy Rector (Academics), Afolabi Bamidele, has promised that the management was working to resolve the crisis in the school. Bamidele said, “We are having a headway with the unions but one of them had a congress on Monday and voted that the strike should continue and we now feel that the students should go home so that they won’t be staying in the school doing nothing. Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: editor@punchng ift.tt/1JvNHBc ift.tt/1JvNLRH [[Boost your social presence with NAIRALIKES nairalikes ]] #nigeria x #nairalikes #vanguardng
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 23:10:51 +0000
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