Academic and non-academic staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo on Monday staged a peaceful protest over the alleged refusal of the Ondo State Government and the institution’s management to implement the new national minimum wage.
The protest was organised by the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), Rufus Giwa Polytechnic chapter, which accused the state government of neglecting the welfare of its members despite the wage adjustment being signed into law in 2024.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, the union said workers at the polytechnic remain on the ₦18,000 minimum wage, describing them as the only category of state workers yet to benefit from the new wage structure already being paid to others since October 2024.
According to SSANIP, repeated appeals to the state government and management have yielded no result, even as staff in sister institutions reportedly enjoy approved welfare packages denied to workers at the polytechnic.
The union lamented that the continued payment of the old wage amid rising economic hardship has left many members unable to meet basic needs, adding that the situation has affected their social standing within the Owo community.
“The national minimum wage is a law, not a privilege,” the statement read, insisting that the demand for implementation is a legitimate entitlement of workers.
SSANIP therefore directed all its members, including those on essential duties such as security and health services, to assemble at the institution’s main gate on Monday for a peaceful protest until their demands are met. Union executives were mandated to coordinate the action.
The protest was tagged at drawing the attention of the Ondo State Government, led by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, as well as the institution’s management under Deputy Governor Olayide Adelami.
The union also referenced the 2024 approval of the new minimum wage by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging Ondo State to comply fully with the law.
As of press time, there was no official response from the Ondo State Government or the management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic regarding the protest.
