Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has declared an end to the era of percentage salary payment in the state, assuring workers of his administration’s commitment to prompt and full salary payment across all state-owned tertiary institutions.
Aiyedatiwa made the declaration on Saturday during the combined 12th–23rd convocation ceremony of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO), where he announced that his government had cleared 10 months out of the 13-month salary arrears inherited from previous administrations and had approved the payment of the remaining three months.
Describing the percentage salary era as a “dark and painful chapter” in the institution’s history, the governor said such hardship would never be allowed to resurface under his administration.
He said: “Let me first acknowledge and commend the late sage and visionary, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, for his efforts at midwifing this institution. The Sunshine State and indeed Nigeria will forever remain proud of him. It gladdens my heart that today, there are several products of this Polytechnic who have distinguished themselves in various areas of human endeavour across the globe.
“We were visibly disturbed to learn that the last time this institution held a convocation was in 2013. I made it clear that it was unacceptable and directed that the situation be remedied immediately. While commending the Acting Rector and his management team for acting promptly, such must never be allowed to happen again.”
The governor recalled that when he assumed office as Acting Governor and later as substantive Governor, one of the most pressing challenges confronting the polytechnic was the backlog of 13 months’ unpaid salaries.
He said his administration took decisive steps to resolve the matter by releasing Special Intervention Funds on three occasions to offset part of the arrears, and later increasing the monthly subvention to the institution from January 2024, in line with other state-owned tertiary institutions.
According to him, the intervention has now made it possible for RUGIPO to pay full salaries regularly.
Aiyedatiwa commended the patience and understanding of both staff and students, especially the three workers’ unions of the polytechnic, for opting for dialogue instead of industrial action while the government worked to resolve the crisis.
He also acknowledged reports of administrative injustices in the past, noting that the government had begun reviewing such cases to ensure fairness and justice.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to repositioning education in the state, the governor challenged tertiary institutions to focus on producing job creators rather than job seekers.
He reiterated his commitment to transforming the institution into a University of Agriculture and Agro-Business, adding that the implementation process was already underway.
Aiyedatiwa expressed appreciation to the Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for infrastructural development support, while urging alumni, corporate organisations, and philanthropists to complement government efforts in developing the school.
He also encouraged tertiary institutions across the state to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship to expand their internally generated revenue base.
In his remarks, the Acting Rector, Mr. Olorunwa Adegun, commended the governor’s intervention, describing the period before his emergence as one of “hopelessness and hardship.”
“Before Your Excellency came on board, workers were owed 13 months’ salary arrears, and some received as low as five per cent. The hardship led to deaths and low morale among staff. But your intervention has changed the story,” Adegun said.
He listed the accreditation of 68 academic programmes, reopening of staff schools, and funding of the long-delayed convocation as proof of the governor’s responsive leadership.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who was conferred with an honorary fellowship award by the institution, also inaugurated several completed infrastructural projects during the event.
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