ASUP decries poor funding of polytechnic education in Ogun

From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Joint Action Committee of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Ogun State, has decried poor funding of the polytechnic education in the state.

The union noted that the N5million monthly subvention being given the state-owned polytechnics for about 15 years is not only grossly inadequate but not in reality with vagaries of the economy, including the galloping inflation among others.

The JAC of ASUP, however, condemned the unwillingness of the state government to increase the subvention despite several pleas made by the union to the state government.

Addressing newsmen at the ASUP Secretariat of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone C of the union, Masopa Nurudeen, bemoaned the neglect of polytechnics by the state government. In attendance at the briefing were the union chairmen from the six government-owned polytechnics.

These include Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu Igbo, D S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, Ogun State ICT Polytechnic, Saapade as well as Ogun State Polytechnic of Allied Health and Sciences.

Masopa said: “Ideally, the responsibility of funding tertiary institutions lies on the proprietors. This is not the case in Ogun State Polytechnics.”

He further demanded for the implementation of the new minimum wage of N77,000 as approved by Governor Dapo Abiodun for the civil servants in the state.

“There is also non-implementation of payment of the new minimum wage in all Ogun State-owned Polytechnics, contrary to its approval by the federal and state governments.

“Another challenge is equally the non-implementation of the 25 Per cent and 35 per cent salary increment as approved by the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) in Ogun State-owned polytechnics and the continued withholding of arrears since January 2023,” Masopa added.