By: Dr. Philip B. Olusola
The recent stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Ondo State Government’s Committee on the Implementation of the New Minimum Wage at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic (RUGIPO), Owo, represents another significant step towards restoring lasting industrial harmony within the institution. By bringing together management, labour unions, retirees and other critical stakeholders, the committee demonstrated its resolve to adopt a broad-based consultative approach in addressing the Polytechnic’s longstanding challenges.
In his remarks, the Committee Chairman made it abundantly clear that the assignment goes beyond determining the cost implications of the new minimum wage. The committee is equally mandated to examine the recommendations of the Prof. Koriko-led Committee and make appropriate recommendations on other issues affecting the institution, including outstanding gratuities and other liabilities. More importantly, he emphasized that the committee would recommend only a realistic and sustainable wage structure – one capable of enduring, rather than a temporary arrangement that could collapse after a few months. Such a thoughtful approach deserves the support of every stakeholder.
The Ondo State Government equally deserves commendation for constituting the committee and for the earlier payment of three months’ outstanding salary arrears owed to workers. These steps reflect the administration’s willingness to engage stakeholders and address the welfare concerns of staff.
However, as crucial as the implementation of the new minimum wage is, the deliberations at the stakeholders’ meeting once again brought to the fore three critical financial obligations that deserve equal priority. These are the outstanding sixteen-month salary arrears, the unpaid six-month Cooperative Thrift and Savings (CTS) deductions, and the accumulated salary arrears of staff members who were unlawfully demoted but subsequently reinstated by competent courts.
These are not mere accounting figures awaiting reconciliation. They represent years of sacrifice, emotional distress, and financial hardship endured by dedicated workers who remained committed to their duties despite difficult circumstances.
The outstanding sixteen-month salary arrears remain one of the most painful legacies in the history of the institution. Behind every unpaid month lies a story of families forced to make painful sacrifices, children whose education was disrupted, medical needs postponed, mounting debts, and workers whose dignity was severely tested. While salary payments have since become more regular, justice demands that these arrears should not be forgotten simply because time has passed.
Equally deserving of urgent attention are the outstanding six months’ Cooperative Thrift and Savings (CTS) deductions. Cooperative contributions are personal savings belonging to workers. Having been deducted from employees’ salaries, they should ordinarily have been remitted promptly to their respective cooperative societies. Their non-remittance has disrupted personal financial planning, weakened cooperative operations, and denied many workers access to loans needed for housing, education, healthcare, business, and other pressing family responsibilities. Prompt remittance would restore confidence in payroll administration and reaffirm government’s respect for workers’ financial rights.
Another issue that calls for immediate resolution concerns staff members who suffered unlawful demotion but were eventually vindicated by competent courts. Although the judiciary restored their status, justice remains incomplete until the accrued salary arrears arising from those illegal demotions are fully paid. Compliance with court judgments must extend beyond reinstatement to the faithful implementation of every financial obligation arising from those judgments. Anything less undermines confidence in the rule of law and weakens public trust in the administration of justice.
It is instructive that representatives of the labour unions presented these issues not as isolated grievances but as integral components of the broader challenges confronting the Polytechnic. Their submissions align perfectly with the committee’s own acknowledgement that the institution’s problems require comprehensive and holistic solutions rather than piecemeal interventions.
Indeed, sustainable industrial harmony cannot be achieved through the implementation of a new minimum wage alone. Lasting peace is built on trust, and trust flourishes where legitimate obligations are honoured faithfully and promptly. Addressing these outstanding liabilities alongside the implementation of the new wage structure would significantly boost staff morale, improve productivity, and create a more stable academic environment for the Polytechnic to fulfil its mandate.
The committee has assured stakeholders that every issue presented before it will receive due consideration. This assurance offers hope that these longstanding financial obligations will feature prominently in its recommendations to the Ondo State Government.
There is also good reason for optimism in the person of the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Professor Amos Igbekele Ajibefun. As a distinguished scholar, seasoned administrator, and former Rector of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, he possesses an intimate understanding of the institution’s history and the circumstances surrounding these outstanding liabilities. During his tenure as Rector, he demonstrated uncommon empathy towards staff and retirees while remaining steadfast in his commitment to the growth and stability of the Polytechnic. Today, occupying a strategic position in the Aiyedatiwa administration, he is uniquely placed to lend his experience, voice, and influence to the ongoing efforts aimed at bringing these lingering issues to a fair, just, and enduring resolution. It is, therefore, the sincere hope of many within the Polytechnic community that this opportunity will not pass without decisive action.
Ultimately, resolving these outstanding obligations is a matter of justice rather than generosity. The affected workers have waited patiently for years to receive what is legitimately due to them. Bringing these issues to a close would not only provide long-awaited relief to the beneficiaries but also strengthen staff morale, deepen public confidence in government, and further underscore the Aiyedatiwa administration’s commitment to equity, responsible governance, and enduring industrial harmony.
The time to act is now.
—Dr. Philip B. Olusola is a public affairs analyst and scholar
Email:philip_bamiji@yahoo.com
philipinotun@gmail.com
