Governor Akeredola of Ondo State

Workers in the Ondo State Government-owned tertiary institutions, under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), has decried the continuous poor funding of the state universities and polytechnics.

The JAC Chairman, Mr Chris Olowolade and the Secretary, Temitope Aguda, made the workers’ position known in a statement jointly issued on Wednesday in Akure.

Olowolade and Aguda said in the statement that reduction in subvention of schools and kidnapping of members called for urgent intervention by the state government to address it before it gets out of hands.

According to JAC, the state institutions mostly affected by poor funding included Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA); Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OSUSTECH) and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO).

It said that inadequate funds to those institutions had crippled their operations.

”We want to use this opportunity to inform Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu that tertiary institutions’ workers are not only suffering from insecurity but, this inadequate funding has resulted in their inability to pay salaries.

”Money released for accreditation and re-accreditation were grossly inadequate. Promotion of staff was carried out last in 2016 as a result of poor funding.

”For instance, RUGIPO subvention was reduced from N213 million to N149 million; capital grants have not been released to RUGIPO since the beginning of this present administration in February, 2017,” JAC said.

It explained that subvention of tertiary institutions in the state was slashed in June 2016 under the last administration.

JAC urged Akeredolu to address various challenges facing the institutions to save them from untimely collapse and protect future of the state education sector from dwindling.

It also appealed to the governor to order the immediate release of more funds and implementation of new 65 and 70 years retirement age for the state university and polytechnic academic and non-academic staff.

JAC said this was in accordance with the approval by the National Assembly in the amended University and Polytechnic Miscellaneous Act of 2012.

It appealed to the governor and security agencies in the state to do something as a matter of urgency on the security challenge in the state particularly the kidnapping of members on Akure-Owo-Akoko Roads.